


Trials of Jane Shepard: Paragon Rising

by MaterialPrune20



Series: Mass Effect: Re-imagined [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:34:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 65,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23901652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaterialPrune20/pseuds/MaterialPrune20
Summary: A Re-imagining of the Mass Effect trilogy; a tale of the illustrious Commander Jane Shepard; N7, Spectre, Nymphomaniac. This FanFic contains fundamental changes to Mass Effect's lore, spiraling into surprising, unique, narrative changes that ask compelling questions. This was crafted, laboriously, with a boundless love for Mass Effect and a desire to tell a new, interesting story.
Relationships: Female Shepard & Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni, Nihlus Kryik/Female Shepard, Saren Arterius/Female Shepard
Series: Mass Effect: Re-imagined [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121708
Comments: 23
Kudos: 26





	1. Ch. 1- Eden Prime: First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Oh. Wow. This turned out to be a lot longer than I first thought it would be. I should have known, honestly, as I have almost 100 (!) pages of just Outlines for my Re-imagining. To be fair, the outlines cover the events in the first 3 ME games - namely Shepard's story, but still! Anyway, this is Chapter 1, titled Eden Prime: First Steps. I will, probably, be continuing this, but as I have a full-time job and run a website for my public works, I don't know how often that the updates will hit for this. I'm still new to the writing FanFic scene, so hopefully, y'all don't care I'm still writing for a 12-year-old game. :) Also I apologize in advance for any formatting fuck-ups!
> 
> So, as this is a Re-imagining, "what's new?" you, probably, ask? Well, if I tell you EVERYTHING that's different in this Alternate Universe, it would spoil some of the surprises! Rest assured, as I mentioned, Trials of Jane Shepard deals largely with the same conflicts, problems, and situations the first three Mass Effect games dealt with. In fact, the overall story doesn't really change. No, what changes, is the journey, the main themes, and some relatively vital details differ. For the non-spoilery summation of the broad changes I've implemented in this Re-imagining, check the end-notes.
> 
> As a final note, the following version of this story is the un-rated version and as such it contains explicit sex scenes. If you do not wish to read these, head over to Fanfiction.net and take a gander at the edited versions.
> 
> Thanks for reading, see ya next time!

**Chapter 1: Eden Prime: First Steps**

**" _Well what about...Commander Shepard? Earthborn...no record of her family, though."_**

**" _She has none. She was raised on the streets and learned to look out for herself. She has a valuable skill set."_**

**" _Sure, Captain. if by 'skills' you mean - ."_**

**" _She proved herself during the Blitz. She single-handedly held off the Batarian's ground forces until reinforcements arrived."_**

**" _I agree, Admiral. She's the only reason Elysium still stands."_**

**" _Alright, alright. Her courage can't be questioned."_**

**" _Humanity needs a hero, Ambassador. Shepard's the best we've got."_**

**" _Fine. I'll make the call."_**

* * *

Jane Shepard paced across the CIC of the Normandy, heading for the bridge. Her damnable N7 armor loud on the polished metal, her boot-steps drawing heads. She was used to the craning necks at this point. Ahead, she caught glimpses of the two towering figures, Turians, talking with the pilot. Joker, she recalled. Weird name, weird guy. She passed Pressly and Adams, the prior quietly pointing at the two aliens, the former shaking his head. She ignored them. She knew what they were saying. It was the same shit she said before Elysium, and the same shit she said now.

 _You can't blame Pressly_ . Poor guy lost his whole squad from the Agincourt, but that wasn't the Turian's fault. _They didn't rush to help though. None of them did._ She had heard the argument countless times. Adams was a good man. She knew he would talk Pressly down today, and tomorrow, and the next day. She was new to the SSV Normandy, but she prided herself on being a quick study. She knew the people here and their relationships as if she'd been here years.

She wasn't a ship-nut, but even she could appreciate the absolute marvel that was the Normandy. A joint effort between the Alliance and the Hierarchy, the Normandy was sold as the next evolution of ships. She was half surprised they didn't try to install an AI or something, but at the same time she knew that would have been a step too far for the apologists back home. Humanity was new to the galaxy, and there was a lot they thought differently of, compared to the races across Citadel space.

Ahead, through the viewport, Jane saw the Normandy drop out of the relay corridor, and they arrived in the Utopia system. If Jane remembered right, Eden Prime was the second planet; they should get there within a half-hour. With the Turians' backs still turned, Jane looked at the two avian bipeds, studying them. While she never saw herself as a xeno-apologist, she had always been fascinated by aliens. As if he felt her stare, the one on the left with grey armor, Saren, glanced back. She met his bright blue eyes, but he looked away, just as Black Armor, Nihlus, actually turned to face her. She shifted her gaze, and Nihlus spread his mandibles. She thought that functioned as a smile, but she wasn't sure. Finally, she made it to the bridge and kept her eyes forward. Nihlus followed her gaze forward. No one spoke.

The awkward silence stretched for another couple seconds, before Saren cleared his throat. "Good job, pilot." He nodded, turned, and walked back the way Shepard came. Nihlus made a noise that Jane's translator picked up as a snort. He gave Jane a friendly nod and followed Saren. _Why the_ **_hell_ ** _were they here?_ Jane wasn't sure if she was complaining though.

She walked forward and stood beside Joker who was shaking his head. She watched the Turians' reflections walk away in the viewport, almost transfixed by their movements. She shook her head, driving the thoughts from her mind. Unorthodox alien passengers, while intoxicating, didn't mean she could break regs. She was in uniform; she was Commander Shepard, now, and Commander Shepard did not spend her time idly wondering just what the Turian's mandible felt like...

She finally looked down at Joker; he looked like someone just spit in his face. "Good job? Taking a leak and not pissing on your leg is a good job. Baking cookies and managing to follow the recipe is a good job." The chair-bound pilot looked up to Shepard. "I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. **That's** incredible!"

He looked at her expectantly. She just raised her eyebrows.

He shook his head, "Anyways, they're Spectre's. Spectre's are trouble and we've got two of the fuckers on board. Call me paranoid."

"Alright, Paranoid. You always expect the worst to happen." It wasn't a question.

"Well, bad feelings are an occupational hazard. We don't go anywhere without good reason, so what are we doing, going to Eden Prime, aboard the Alliance's newest, most advanced ship - ."

"Helmed by the Alliance's best pilot."

"Right! With not one, but **two** Spectres?"

Shepard shrugged. "The Council **did** help fund the Normandy's construction. Spectres go where the council wants, and they want them on the shakedown."

"That's the official story and only idiots believe the official story."

Shepard rolled her eyes, but was spared a response by the comm crackling.

"Joker, status report."

"Just cleared the relay, Captain. Stealth system is engaged. Everything looks solid."

"Good. Find a comm buoy, and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime."

"Aye aye, Captain." He paused and added on, "Better brace yourself, sir. I think the Spectres are headed that way."

"They're already here, Lieutenant."

Joker gulped, but the Captain continued.

"Commander Shepard, report to the comm room for mission debriefing."

Shepard called a confirmation over the channel, and spun around. "Thanks, Paranoid."

"For what?" He twisted in his seat, looking back at Shepard.

"Pissin' the Captain off for me." Shepard passed Pressly and gave him a nod, as he headed up to help Joker on the bridge.

A few moments later, Shepard entered the comm room, a large circular chamber on the opposite side of the CIC from the bridge. It was empty. _I'm always early_. She walked forward, and stood at parade rest in the center.

She only had to wait a minute; the door opened again, the hydraulic system almost noiseless. She turned and snapped a salute as Captain David Anderson walked in, leading the two Turian Spectres.

Anderson was older, old enough to be Shepard's father and he might as well have been, for what he'd done for her. He returned the salute and she went back to rest. "So, by now, Shepard, you've realized this isn't a standard shakedown cruise for the Normandy." Anderson jerked a thumb at the Turians.

Now, finally, Saren met her gaze. She broke it first, though his blue eyes begged her interest. "I figured, sir. Just waiting on you to fill me in."

"Well, now that we're here, I can." Anderson turned to the two aliens, and nodded. She thought she saw a dark flash in Saren's eyes, but Nihlus started talking and she couldn't confirm.

"Commander Shepard, tell me, what do you know about Eden Prime?" Nihlus' striking white facial markings accented his flanged voice, perfectly.

"Not much, I'll admit. It's widely regarded as a beautiful world, serene and tranquil. Almost a symbol."

Saren spoke now, forcing Shepard to turn to keep him in her sight. "A symbol, indeed. Proof that your people can establish colonies from across the galaxy - ."

"And protect them." Nihlus finished the statement.

 _What is this? Are they..._ **_posturing_ ** _?_ Shepard looked back and forth between the Spectres.

"But how safe is it really?" Saren stepped further into the room, passing close by to Shepard. She looked at him sharply.

Nihlus pushed on. "The races of Citadel space have long had an agreement, formed long before your people even dreamed of walking the stars. Any prothean technology or artifacts are to be submitted to the Council, cataloged, then carefully studied on the Citadel. Some don't like that restriction."

"Speaking of restrictions, the 'Archives' on your planet, Mars, are a unique exception to them." Saren stalked around her. "The extensive nature of these artifacts excludes them from submission to the Council, but, per prior agreements with your Government, they **are** the subject of rigorous study by Citadel scientists. At least until it can be determined whether or not their extradition will lead to system-wide disruption of the celestial bodies in Sol - ."

"Saren." Anderson cut the Turian off. "Modern galactic history and politics **are** required studies for our Alliance Officers. Get to the point, or I will." This time, Shepard was sure. She saw a dangerous glint in the aliens sharp blue eyes. _What was their history?_

Nihlus stepped forward. "Apologies, Captain. Sometimes we forget ourselves in our...theatrics." The softer brown eyes of Nihlus met hers. "Saren is right, however. The Martian Archives are quite extensive, and therefore cannot be moved as of yet. However, the recent discovery on Eden Prime does not meet those specifications."

"Recent discoveries? You mean the excavations..."

Saren stepped up beside Nihlus, and again Shepard's stomach flipped at the sight of his eyes. "Indeed. The most intact Prothean artifact in the last forty years, has been unearthed; a Prothean beacon, whole. **We** are going to collect it and bring it back to the Citadel for study. **You** are going to help, Jane Shepard."

"Are you...expecting trouble, Saren?" Shepard found it hard to think when those damn blue eyes speared her like that.

Nihlus answered, but Saren kept staring at her. "We always expect trouble. That's why we requested for your participation."

At that, Shepard broke off her stare and looked at Anderson for confirmation. Still eyeing Saren, the Captain noticed Shepard looking at him, and he nodded. "That's right, Shepard. You've been chosen, specifically, for this mission."

"Chosen? Sir, what does - ."

Shepard was cut off, as Joker called over the comms, his usually relaxed voice laced with adrenaline. "Captain! We've got a problem! A **huge** fucking - ."

"Status report, Joker?" Anderson learned not to let Joker get on a roll.

"Transmission, marked urgent, from Eden Prime. They aren't joking when they say - ."

"Joker, bring it up on the comm room screen."

"Yessir!"

The pair of Turians stepped forward with Anderson, while Shepard stayed just behind. Her eyes were dragged up as she saw flashes of gunfire on the screen. Her mouth hung open, as she saw hell unfolding.

A shaky camera, Alliance standard issue helmet recording it looked like, showed a squad of armored Alliance soldiers get cut to pieces by a torrent of plasma shots. The screams of the dying soldiers are drowned out by a horrible, all-encompassing drone. The soldier, identified in the recording as one Corporal Jenkins, fell to the ground. The sky is finally shown; dark smoke choking much of the view, while red lightning flashed. The flashes lit up a monstrous...something - inky black with several appendages jutting out from the main body. It covered the rest of the image and then another drone shook Jenkins.

A screech of electronics and metal sounded in the footage, and the soldier is lifted. They could hear Jenkins babbling incoherently. He sounded hysterical, and Shepard couldn't blame him. The four of them watched with grim expressions as metal arms flashed at the edges of the camera, then suddenly Jenkins was falling. He slammed into something and slowly he raised his head, movements jagged.

His stomach, armored, was caked in blood. He groaned, then screamed as a sharp metal spike emerged through his midsection, lifting him into the air. The helmet, knocked loose, spun in midair before resting on the ground. More flashes of metal, then something else picked the helmet up; a construct with a hooded, cowl-like silhouette, and a single bright light in the middle.

Nihlus cursed. "Geth?! What are they - ." The helmet creaked and then was crushed by the inhumanly strong metal appendage.

They fell silent, before Saren called over the comm. "Pilot, reverse to 38.5, and hold there."

Joker complied, and the image froze on the dark shape in the sky.

"Saren, do you know what that is?" Nihlus looked curiously at his partner.

"Not a clue." Saren's eyes were locked on the image.

"ETA, Joker?" Anderson looked shocked, but quickly rallied himself when he saw Shepard looking at him.

"Seventeen minutes, sir."

"Any other activity?"

"Just an automated text file, from Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko, 2nd Frontier Division, requesting immediate aid. No other comm activity, no other Alliance ships in the area."

Anderson looked back to the Turians and Shepard. "Okay. It's just us. Gear up, Shepard. Meet us down in the garage. Joker! Get us there ASAP!"

Shepard snapped to, and raced for her locker. She felt Saren's eyes on her the entire time. She would have felt flattered if she wasn't racing to jump into hell.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Shepard stomped out of the elevator into the 'garage'. The third deck housed Engineering further aft, towards the drive core, and Storage, right in front of the elevator door. To the left, a line of lockers, currently empty, sat unattended. To the right, the M35 Mako sat, covered by a tarp, attended by Engineer Wright; they were dropping close enough to the excavation they wouldn't need the Mako, and for that Shepard was glad. She hated driving the thing.

Further along, Captain Anderson stood, arms crossed, waiting for Shepard. Beside him, the two Turian's stood facing each other, quietly conversing.

She walked toward them, plucking the folded Avenger rifle off her left shoulder. It automatically clicked and whirred, unfolding. She checked the scope, a practiced move, and adjusted the magnification a hair. She plopped the sniper back and repeated the last check for her other weapons. She doubted she would need anything other than her sniper and pistol, but it didn't hurt to bring the auto or shotgun, and it was best not to fall out of practice with using them.

Anderson nodded to her, and began the final debriefing, though only Shepard paid any attention; the Spectres were outside his command, and they proved it by hitting the switch at their necks, their helmets sliding out and locking in place over each of their heads.

"We'll go in low and fast. Spectre Saren spotted a good entry vector so we'll drop you off there, atop the hill. It'll be just a few clicks from the dig site, but there's a monorail station a few hundred meters from drop off that'll get you closer. It cuts through the mountain, so it'll be a lot of close quarters.

"The Geth here are engaging in an act of war and will be treated as hostile, Commander. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Shepard understood the implication. She didn't look forward to the political shit-storm that was coming after this. This was already many times worse than the First Contact War, and the Skyllian Blitz played favorably for the Alliance; the Batarians, at least, weren't considered a sovereign race of Citadel Space.

All that, not to mention the fact that Geth were widely seen as the most advanced military force in the galaxy. Advantages of being an AI hive-mind.

"Good." Anderson continued, "You'll be accompanying the Spectres, as discussed. They are the lead in this mission, but I have confirmed and green-lit the op. Their plan is sound, stick with them. Get to that dig site, secure the beacon, and get the hell out."

"Say the word, Captain."

Joker called over the comm, still barely containing the excitement in his voice. "Stealth system is fully engaged again, Captain. Entering the atmosphere...now." A not so subtle bump of the ship followed. At least he wasn't peppering in gratuitous swears -, "Holy **fuck**! That's a lot of smoke and a very, very big...space-monster-thing."

Anderson shook his head, and turned back to the trio. He stared a little longer than normal at Saren, but Shepard couldn't see the Turian's eyes. She snatched her helmet, a rectangle that fit perfectly in a socket on her belt. Shepard slapped it to the base of her neck, locking it in place, and a moment later, her helmet covered her head. The HUD popped up, and cycled through start-up. She returned Anderson's nod.

"Approaching the drop zone...thirty seconds out."

"Alright, the op is yours, Spectres, Commander. Good luck."

On cue, the Normandy coasted, banking against the air resistance, and the bay doors opened. Shepards rebreather filter automatically deployed, covering her nose and mouth. She followed the Spectres down the ramp, hand hovering over her pistol. Saren reached the bottom first and he leaped, disappearing into the whirling smoke and ashes. Nihlus hesitated just a moment, tapping Shepard's arm.

He pointed at the side of his head, then held up a finger, paused, then all three of his digits. He nodded and jumped out, following his partner. Shepard followed, already pulling up her Omnitool and selecting frequency 1.3. She fell over five meters, tucking and rolling, letting the N7 armor take the brunt of the fall. Normandy was already roaring away overhead, circling and heading back the way it came.

Shepard pulled the pistol off her hip, the barrel extending, the grip comfortable in her palm. The smoke swirled around her, but the radar in the corner of her HUD highlighted Saren and Nihlus' location. They already moved away from the drop zone, down the southern side of the hill, toward a small amount of tree covering.

Saren's flanged voice crackled in her ears, almost a purr. "Keep up, Shepard. I don't think you want to be spotted by that thing."

Shepard rushed after them, ducking her head. When she hit the trees, she finally glanced up and forward, towards the dig site farther north. In the sky, that dark shape still hung, occasionally accented by red lightning. Even a couple of kilometers away, they were still close enough to see that it was constructed, like a ship, and the lightning wasn't natural. The surrounding area was calm, aside from the blowing smoke and ash that marred the beautiful scenery. No sounds of battle could be heard.

"Okay. Let's go, stay low and quiet Shepard. Follow Nihlus' lead. He's slower than I, anyway." Saren moved off, staying low and in the tree line.

Nihlus grumbled, but followed. Shepard stuck close, unable to stop from looking at Saren from behind. She grinned; he must like saying her name. She roughly reminded herself that she was in-mission.

Before long, Saren signaled them to stop, and slowly approach him, poised on a ridge, overlooking a shallow valley. When they arrived, Saren glanced at Shepard. "You any good with that scope, or do you just wear it because it makes you look good?" Shepard couldn't help but smile, blushing a little bit, as she switched weapons, quickly and quietly. Without a sound, she crawled to the edge and looked down.

The valley floor, about ten meters below them, was littered with smoldering pieces of shelter, prefabs mostly. Further in the valley, fifty meters away from their vantage point, a pathway extended north, towards the monorail station. Spaced out, about two dozen strange spear-like devices lofted still squirming corpses. Even without her scope, Shepard could see they had been civilians, no armor or weapons were visible, and her HUD did not detect any dog tags.

Shepard felt a chill, as she struggled to tame the raging storm in her gut. She took a breath and popped up the scope. She looked through, flipping it to 2x magnification, and focused on the closest spike, halfway through the valley. " **Fuck!** " She looked at the Spectres. "They're still alive!"

Saren looked back down at the valley. "I've heard of these things before...dragon's teeth. They're usually found at archeological sites where researchers find artifacts they had no business messing with. The theory is that they are turned by this tech into machine cultists."

Nihlus echoed her curse. "Looks like these Geth have managed to weaponize them. We need to be careful."

"Anything else, Shepard?"

Shepard looked down her scope again, this time surveying the wreckage. This was a good spot for an ambush; lots of places to hide. One of the slanted prefabs on the eastern hill shifted slightly. She placed a waypoint on it, and clicked the comm once. She saw the Turians shift their focus. Over the next few minutes, Shepard combed over the valley floor, placing two more waypoints; one at a large clump of twisted metal against the western edge, directly opposite the shifting prefab, and another closer to the pathway leading out the valley. She saw strange metal pieces that she couldn't identify, half-obscured by smoke.

"Alright, Nihlus, take the eastern side, I'll take the western. Shepard, keep watch. Anything else pops up, it's yours." Nihlus nodded.

"Copy." Shepard reset the Avenger against her shoulder, and nestled even further into the ground. She watched as the two Spectres made their way down, scrabbling across the dirt and rocks. They made their way like ghosts through the wreckage, not making a noise. Even Shepard would have been hard-pressed to notice them if she didn't see them on her radar.

Nihlus passed the closest dragon's teeth, and all hell broke loose. The spike retracted, depositing the squirming body to the ground. It hit heavily, rolled once, then popped up. It spun and sprinted straight at the Turian. Through the comm, she heard him suck in air through his mandible. The other spikes around the valley followed suit, dumping over twenty of these "machine cultists".

Shepard swung the sniper down to cover the Turian's when more movement straight ahead caught her attention. The strange metal debris by the valley exit suddenly straightened into four bipedal mechanical beings. Three were the same two-meter height, the same slate grey coloring, and hefted the same strangely shaped firearm. The fourth was taller, by around a foot, and alabaster white.

Geth, she recognized. Shepard snarled, lined the obvious leader up in the middle of the scope, and squeezed the trigger. The superheated tungsten ripped through the air, sparking off the Geth's shield. She let out another round, this one punching through and catching it in the shoulder. It let out a buzzing screech as it spun around. The other three raced forward, diving behind a few pieces of debris.

To the east and west, two more Geth, a dull, slate-grey, popped out. Shepard swung towards the one on the west side; it had a clear shot at Saren, who was busy rushing back away from the sudden appearance of machine cultists. Her round took the Geth in the middle of the chest, bursting it apart like a toy. She swung back to the initial group, and let off her last round before the weapon overheated. Another grey Geth dropped.

She called over the comm, "Four Geth, one a leader type. I tagged it but can't confirm a kill. A basic type on the eastern hill, twenty meters forward of Nihlus' position."

"Copy. Keep the Geth pinned. Nihlus and I can handle these..." Shepard glanced over to see him grab a cultist by the throat, slam it to the ground, and stomp on its head. "...things." He finished.

Shepard kept a watch on the Spectres between taking potshots at the Geth, but they didn't need her help. A few seconds later, Shepard landed a killing shot on the eastern Geth, then a glancing blow on one of the grey ones at the end, then dropped the white one when it popped its head up into her scope. "Come on..." She goaded the last two on.

One, the undamaged one, popped up, and raised its weapon. Shepard shot it through the light on its head, dropping it. She breathed, waiting for the last one to show itself. Nothing. She swiveled down, and shot a cultist sneaking up on Nihlus by crawling over a piece of several fused prefab walls. She kept an eye to make sure no more surprises came up, but focused on watching the Spectre's fight and studying the cultists.

The strange blue and grey hued creatures moved fast initially, when they first spotted an enemy, but they didn't seem smart nor agile. More than once, Saren let one rush close to him, before leaping out of the way, and shooting it casually as it stumbled to the ground. They seemed remarkably fragile as well, often dropping with only one or two physical strikes. Gunshots, she quickly discerned, didn't affect them as much as they should, however. A well placed shot in the head, or a large amount in the midsection seemed to work best. _They're more like...husks of what they once were. Like the zombies from those old movies._ Her earlier observation was false, it seemed. They weren't alive. Not really.

Soon, she became invested in just watching the two Turians. She wondered if they were Ex-military. Both Saren and Nihlus were **good** , their skills obviously honed over years on the battlefield. As she watched though, it became clear who boasted the higher talent. Saren, she admitted, was not unlike a god in a fight. At one point, his pistol overheated, with three of the cultists bearing down on him, Saren simply stepped into the middle of the group. He lazily dodged one clumsy swipe, lopped off two heads and the arm that dared strike at him, and kicked the last living cultist away from him. Then he executed it with a single round to the head. Shepard didn't even see him pull the blade, nor see it stowed again.

Less than two minutes after the ambush was sprung, the Spectres finished off the last of the husks and Saren waved Shepard down. "Good shooting. You sure you never fought Geth before?"

"Never." She made her way down the incline, leaping the last couple meters. She pressed a button on the Avenger and slapped it to her shoulder. She walked briskly towards the Spectres, one hand close to her pistol. "You?"

"No. Usually we make a point not to attack sovereign Citadel Space races." Saren watched her approach. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, with his full focus on her, she felt a flutter in her stomach.

"We, being Spectres." It wasn't a question, and it was definitely a jab.

Nihlus snorted. "Good shooting, Commander. He's just mad you got to shoot a bigger gun."

"I don't need a big gun."

"I'm telling you, Saren. Grab yourself a Master Line. It won't fail you." Nihlus patted his shotgun, lovingly.

"What are you going to do when someone further than 5 meters away starts shooting you?" Saren sounded annoyed, but even Shepard could hear the joking tone. These two didn't play at the friend act.

"I'll expect you to shoot them for me." Nihlus shrugged.

Saren just shook his head. "Alright. Let's go. Nihlus, Mr. Shotgun, why don't you go first?" He waved him forward.

Saren looked one last time at Shepard and cocked his head. A playful gesture. Shepard wished she could see those eyes. It was hard to read a Turian when you couldn't see their eyes.

She followed, watching the surrounding foliage, terrain, and swaying hips of the Turians. She couldn't help herself. She didn't think she wanted to, anyway.

* * *

Five minutes later, the trio snuck up on a familiar scene. The monorail station sat nestled in between three hills, making a valley with an open end. Like Anderson had said, the monorail itself cut through a relatively shallow mountain. Prefabs had been set up around the entry structure, giving the area a small-town vibe. Now, the prefabs were broken and scattered, smoke from fires still poured into the air, and Shepard spotted another ambush.

This one was led by several of the pure white Geth, several drones, and at least a dozen basic grey Geth. Shepard spotted them hiding behind debris, atop the side hills looking down into the 'kill box', and even some behind a handful of crates which were waiting to be loaded onto the monorail. They would be waiting for a while longer, as Shepard tagged the workers nearby, atop a smoldering fire, along with a few other civilians.

 _What got into these Geth? They haven't acted like this since they were first created._ The two Spectres offered no answer. They were as confused at their actions as she was.

They talked quietly in their comms, assigning targets and deciding who would trigger this ambush, when suddenly an impossibly pervasive droning sound filled the air. Immediately, the three dove away, seeking what cover they could from the trees and outcroppings nearby. Shepard looked around wildly. _Was it a new type of Geth?_ Then she saw Saren, frozen, half-crouched behind a tree, looking up into the sky, toward a flash of red lightning.

The ship! Shepard looked up and terror immobilized her where she stood. The dark ship, massive, slowly floated across the dusty sky, abnormal blood-red lightning trailing it. It's middle was somewhat bulbous, almost harshly so, and it tapered into an angular crest at the top, oriented back away from what Shepard assumed was the front, where gleaming lights shone like eyes in the night. Below the mid-section, six stocky legs descended, moving like jointed knees, and further forward, opposite the crest, five long, thick arms extended.

Another horrible drone sounded, definitely emitted from the ship. Shepard felt like her eardrums would split. She dropped to a knee and grasped at the tree in front of her to keep from falling. She was dimly aware of Nihlus, similarly incapacitated. Saren, however, still watched. Either he was absolutely paralyzed in fear, or he was in utter awe of the mysterious ship. Then the ship rocketed away from the ground, splitting across the sky as if the atmosphere wasn't even there.

A moment later, a hot wave of energy washed over them, crushing smaller trees and knocking all three aside like leaves in the wind. Shepard stayed on the ground, catching her breath, and eventually she staggered to her feet, then immediately ducked down again. She called over the comm.

"Stay low. The Geth are out of hiding. They're retreating, but keeping an eye on our hill." She was breathing heavily, like she just ran a marathon.

A pained acknowledgment sounded in her ear. Nihlus was affected like she. He sounded out of breath. Saren was quiet. Shepard darted over, sliding the last couple feet to stay out of the Geth's vision. She knelt beside Saren, who looked like he was looking up in the sky, at the rapidly disappearing ship.

"Saren? You good?"

A moment passed, and Nihlus appeared at their side."What the **fuck** was that? I've never seen anything like it. I've never **heard** of anything like that."

"Did you...did you see the size of that thing? It must have been two kilometers long." Saren sounded out of breath too.

"Yeah." Shepard reflexively checked her guns and Omni-tool. "Kinda looked like a squid, don't you think?" Her gear worked fine still. "Seemed to run off eezo, too. Felt like we stood right by a cruiser during take-off when it shot away like that."

Nihlus chimed in. "Is it Geth? Something from the Terminus? Far Rim?"

"That wasn't Geth. It couldn't be." Saren sounded quite sure.

Both Shepard and Nihlus looked at the Spectre.

"Well whatever it was, consider me officially wary. It's unnatural, whatever it is."

"It's beautiful." Now, Saren sounded like a love-sick art-groupie.

Both Shepard and Nilhus turned to the other, then back to Saren, " **What?!** "

"It felt like it was tearing my heart out with that screech!" Shepard couldn't believe Saren just said that.

"Agreed, it was sheer terror looking at that thing move!" She couldn't see Nihlus' face, but she was sure he was just as surprised as she was.

Finally Saren looked away from the sky and seemed to notice the two of them. He hurriedly sat up, shifting to his haunches. "Beauty can be terrifying, too." Shepard and Nihlus looked at each other. "C'mon, you two. Let's see what these Geth are up to."

* * *

The Geth, it turned out, had retreated, back across the monorail. Well most of them. When they arrived at the station proper, and began moving through the catwalks and various stairways, they heard the reports of guns. Alliance guns, Shepard pointed out.

As they raced forward, she sent out a ping on her Omni-tool, stating the presence of an Alliance officer, along with authentication. If another officer was present, they should be sending...there.

She stopped, back slamming against a short metal wall that acted as railing on this side of the monorail. Below her, the mountain had been gouged down almost thirty meters. The two Turians stopped as well. "Who is it? Alliance?" Shepard looked at Saren and nodded.

She remotely patched the officers Omni-tool into her and the Spectres' comm frequency. "Lieutenant Alenko, you there?"

"Yes, ma'am! Good to hear a friendly voice this far into the warzone."

"Status report, Lieutenant." Shepard glanced at Saren, annoyed at the hijacking.

"...Umm, sorry, but who the hell is this?"

Shepard shook her head at the Turian. "Alenko; Spectre Arturius and Spectre Kryik." To the Spectre's, she added, off the comm. "This Lt's a biotic, L2, and he's as much tenure as I do. Which means he's stubborn. Which means just shouting into the comm without introducing yourself will take more time. In fact, doing that with most Alliance career officers will get you that result."

As if on cue, Alenko responded. "Copy that Commander Shepard. Glad for their assistance."

Shepard looked between the two. If they could see her eyes, they'd see her raised eyebrows. "Permission to handle the Alliance, Spectres?"

The two Turian's looked at each other. Nihlus snorted and patted Saren on the shoulder, then moved forward. Saren skulked away, tossing back, "Tell him **not** to shoot the bird-men." Shepard winced. She was gonna hear about this later. She stopped herself. What the fuck did she care? She shook her head. Put two handsome Turians in front of her and she reverts to pre-Elysium Shepard.

"Alright, Alenko, The two Aves are with us on this one. We're here to do some simple recon and figure out just what kind of c.f. you guys have gotten into with these Geth. What's the situation?" She moved up, catching up to her Spectre friends.

They were looking down on the docking platform that the monorail platforms connected with. To their right, a long thin catwalk extended over the chasm, leading to more docking platforms to the north and the south. To the left, pinned down behind some metal crates, two Alliance soldiers huddled. Three of the white leader-type Geth slowly advanced, letting out a continuous outpouring of plasma from their guns. They had less than thirty seconds before the Geth were on them.

"Belay the response, Lt. We've got eyes on the immediate."

Alenko didn't respond, and Shepard saw that the other soldier was wounded. Blood was slowly leaking from their side. Shepard's hud detected the dog tag, as well as vitals. Ashley Williams, Gunnery Chief. She was not in a good way. She glanced at the Spectres. Their guns were raised, but they weren't shooting. _Fucking Turians. They want me to take the lead? Fine._

"Alright, Saren, Nihlus, cover me."

"Copy, Commander Shepard," Saren spoke aloud, rather than into the comm. Shepard rolled her eyes, popped off her Avenger rifle, and held up three fingers.

"Got any Medi-gel, Alenko?"

Alenko responded, sounding more worried than before. "No ma'am, apologies." He must hear the Geth stomping closer.

Shepard cursed inwardly and replaced the sniper to her shoulder. She pinged Alenko's Omni-tool, placing her on his radar. "That's alright. She caught the attention of the Spectres and started counting down, half time. "Heads up."

She put the last finger down, and like synchronized watches, she and the Turians popped up over the railing. The latter let off a torrent of shots, overwhelming one of the Geth and forcing the other two into cover, while Shepard tugged a canister of Medi-gel off her belt and tossed it to Alenko, who looked up expectantly. She then leaped off the railing.

She could hear the Turian's necks snap as they followed her unexpected move. Still grinning, she hit the catwalk directly below, rolled, and came up holding her pistol. Directly in front of her, not covered from her new location and in prime pistol range, the Geth also turned to her.

She alternated, firing two quick shots into each Geth head, dropping their shields and momentarily stunning them. Another shot took each in the light, the curved head splitting apart and viscous green oil spraying. Not waiting a moment, Shepard rushed forward, leaping across the gap between her catwalk and Alenko's crates. The Turian's stayed up high, watching over them, keeping an eye out for more Geth.

She slid in next to the Alliance soldiers, and immediately took out another canister of Medi-gel. Alenko, still helmeted and clad in cerulean armor, held the soldier in his arms, and nodded his thanks at her. "She'll be alright." He tried to convince himself, she knew. "She's tough."

Shepard put the canister away, but kept an eye on the Gunnery Chief's vitals. "We clear, boys?" She glanced up to the Turians. They both gave a mock salute, but didn't say anything. Damn them, were they gonna take her **that** literally? She gave an exasperated sigh, in the main frequency. "Permission to talk, **boys**."

She heard Alenko's confused glances. This close, she said loud enough that he could hear her. "Turians, am I right?"

Alenko let out a nervous chuckle. "I suppose so ma'am. Thanks again. For the rescue." He paused, then seemed to realize he still held Williams. Shepard helped ALenko set her to the ground, leaning the unconscious soldier against the crate. "You've got some damn good timing - even better than I'd heard, Commander."

Shepard nodded, and saw on her radar the Spectres follow her leap down. "So what can you tell me about the Geth, Lieutenant. Why did they attack?" She figured she knew, but sometimes it was good to hear from the actual eyes on the ground.

"Honestly, ma'am, hell if I know." Alenko glanced at the approaching Spectres. "If I had to guess, it was probably something to do with whatever they uncovered at the dig site last week."

"You aren't aware of what they dug up?" Shepard narrowed her eyes, according to the automatic report, Alenko was the second-highest-ranking officer on the planet. Commander AJ Rollins was, presumably, killed in the initial wave, but if he didn't tell even the Lieutenant what they found when he was alive, this beacon **was** the real deal.

"No ma'am." He seemed to hesitate, silently gauging Shepard; trying to decide how honest he could be with the Alliance's latest "war hero"? "If I was a betting man, though, I would wager it's whatever you three were headed here for, originally."

The Spectres looked at each other, then Shepard. Saren gave a barely perceptible shrug. He was leaving it up to Shepard. She paused. They could always use more help, especially a biotic like Alenko. She pulled up William's file. From what she could see she was a damn fine soldier. Exceptional marksman with long-range and short-range rifles, pistols, and even had a commendation for admirable service with a shotgun? Shepard didn't even know that was a thing. She made her decision.

"Commander Rollins?" She asked as gently as she could. Alenko looked down. "Dead. A couple of Geth drones came out of nowhere. They ripped through his shields like a hot knife through butter. I...I'm the highest-ranking officer here. As far as I'm aware, Williams and I are all that's left of the 2nd."

Shepard nodded. "Well, Lieutenant Alenko, I'm gonna see about getting you and Williams out of here. But I need you to do something for me." She took out another couple of canisters of Medi-gel. "Stay here, post up, and keep her alive until we get back."

Alenko nodded, taking the canisters. "Will do ma'am." He followed suit as Shepard and the Turians stood. Saren and Nihlus made for the opposite catwalk.

Alenko called out. "Before you go, Commander. If you're going to the dig site, be careful. We saw a larger force of Geth head that way, before some of them saw us and pinned us down."

Shepard nodded her thanks and followed the Turians down to the next docking platform, a quick, twenty-meter jaunt.

"Nice guy, that Alenko." Nihlus blurted out the quip as soon as Shepard caught up to them. She knew he could hardly wait to say something.

"You two could take some pointers from him." Shepard shot back.

"Do all human women like to be called ma'am?" Saren glanced back and she could hear his mandibles clacking as he chuckled.

"Depends." Shepard felt flushed. From the jog, she was sure.

"On?" Nihlus got in on the banter.

"The context." Shepard couldn't stop herself.

"And the subtext, I would imagine." Saren let out another chuckle, and Shepard almost stumbled. **_Damn_** _,_ _that Turian's good._

* * *

"Son of a **BITCH**!" Shepard kicked a rushing husk off the crowded catwalk, while Saren lunged forward and shoved his pistol in the midsection of another. He discharged half a dozen shots quickly, blasting it apart. Back, behind them, huddled into a corner and making himself the smallest target he could, Nihlus worked on disarming a bomb.

"They." Shepard ducked a swipe from a third husk.

"Keep." She kicked out, snapping its fragile knee.

"Coming!" She shot it once in the head, which was now level with her waist. She was already forced to step back as two more crawled up from the underside of the catwalk.

"How much longer, Nihlus?"Even now, with easily thirty husks mindlessly rushing them, Saren sounded at ease, like he was taking a lovely stroll through a park.

Shepard grunted as she shoved one husk over the railing and shot another point-blank in its moaning face. _At least one of us is having fun._

"Not much...done!" A distant three-toned beep sounded behind them and Nilhus swore. "There's more!"

Shepard and Saren both screamed at once, " **What?!** " In sync, the two dodged a single swipe, shot over the shoulders of the front husk, dropping two more. Saren tossed the husk over the edge, while Shepard switched to her Avenger auto.

"Two more! The closest is...ten meters up and about twenty-five meters north-west. The other is further, directly north." Nihlus tossed the defunct device aside, and stepped up behind them, unholstering his shotgun. "Unloading!"

Saren stepped away, letting Nihlus squeeze in front with Shepard. He unloaded five quick shots, felling several with each pull of the trigger, while Shepard sprayed the crowd of husks. Saren cleaned up the two stragglers with efficient shots. It was quiet.

"Alright, we still have another couple of Geth squads unaccounted for. Let's move out to the next bomb." Saren started moving, dipping into a practiced half-crouch, his pistol held in front, at the ready. "How much time was on the first one when we found it?"

"Little under ten minutes. Took just about a minute to disarm. Assuming they're all similarly armed…" Nihlus followed, stopping just long enough to kick a few husks over the edge of the catwalk. "We have about 8 minutes. Accounting for us running our little butts off from bomb to bomb."

"Great. Let's hope the Geth don't decide to play 'chase the detonator'."

"Better knock on some wood, Spectres." Shepard brought up the rear, switching back to her rifle. She felt the two Turians look back at her. She rolled her eyes. "Human expression, nevermind."

They moved forward, coming to an intersection. The left led to another docking platform, like the one Alenko had been pinned down on. There were no crates or any other means of cover. The right led to a metal staircase, which extended up. It had three switchbacks, the middle landing extending out to another platform, and presumably an exit from the monorail onto open ground. Straight ahead, the catwalk extended for another twenty meters, until the next intersection.

"We should head up." Nihlus glanced up, then back down at his Omni-tool. "There. I got a ping, similar chemical make-up in the detonator."

Saren waved them forward, taking the lead. Shepard stayed back a couple meters, extending her rifle. If she had set bombs, she would leave someone to watch the second. The third would have the most hardy defenses. She wondered just how Geth thought. No one had engaged in warfare with them since the Quarians, almost three centuries ago. Regardless, she kept an eye on the surrounding catwalks, looking for any sign of movement.

She spotted some, across and down at the bottom catwalk against the opposite wall. A group of husks shambled slowly down, heading south. She sent a ping along with a text file to Alenko's Omni-tool. Hopefully, Alenko's amp was recharged enough to give him an edge. She was forced to focus on her and the Spectres however, when Saren motioned them to hit the ground and continue quietly.

They reached the middle landing, which was occupied with several dozen husks, crowded on the sides, away from the below-view. Shepard commed quietly. "Anyone have any grenades?" The Turians shook their heads. "What, you Turians only like engaging in hand to hand? Trigger-only?"

"What can we say? We like to be...hands-on."

"Up close and personal."

"Uh-huh. Well, watch and learn." Shepard scooted past them, unclipping two disk-shaped charges. She cycled them to incendiary, set one on a two-second delay, the other on a five-second, then popped up in full view of the husks. She tossed the shorter delay grenade forward, directly amid the closest throng. She tossed the other in the middle of the platform, between the stairs and the other throng. She raised her rifle, shot a husk who wasn't looking at her, then covered her head as the first grenade exploded, spewing fire throughout the group of husks, burning them. She ducked back, shooing the Turians further down the stairs.

She crouched down as the second grenade exploded, tossing fire and burnt chunks of husks across the platform and down the first couple of stair steps. Behind her, the Turians stood shoulder to shoulder. The three waited for husks to swarm the stairs, which they did after several more seconds. They fired, swiftly cutting them down. They waited another moment, then rushed up to the platform, fires still burning and chunks of husks everywhere. Nihlus sprinted toward a corner, searching for his bomb. Shepard and Saren posted up, keeping an eye on the smoldering corpses and the other catwalks for any Geth.

A minute later, Nihlus grunted in victory as the same three-toned beep sounded. "Ok the last one…"

* * *

"...is a **real** bitch to get to. I'll say it." Nihlus, ducking behind the slowly disintegrating crate on the left-wall docking platform, looked at Shepard like it was her fault. Saren popped up and shot three times, managing to drop a white Geth.

"Time?" He sat on his haunches and let his pistol discharge the built-up heat. Shepard popped up, lining up a Geth head in her scope, and watched it burst apart like some smashing a vintage lamp. She switched to another Geth, but was forced to duck as her shield flared against incoming Geth fire. _Damn those Geth weapons_ **_sting_ ** _!_

Nihlus looked at his Omni-tool. "Best guess? Minute and a half."

"Well, on the bright side, boys, there's only three more of those white Geth… And ten of the basics. Give or take." Saren snorted, then stood, popping off another series of fast shots.

"Take." He nodded at Shepard. "Did you pinpoint it, yet?"

Nihlus shook his head. "The bastards started using radar scramblers. My detection suite is useless."

Shepard let out a breath, unclipped her last grenade, cycled it to HE, and tossed it where she saw two Geth firing at her from. She paused, let it explode, then popped out of cover. She had a few seconds of not being shot at and was able to survey the battlefield.

After disarming the second bomb, they had come under almost constant fire by Geth snipers. They were good, too. Shepard had been lucky she had two big charming Turians to use as bait.

Of course, the trouble hadn't ended there; the right catwalk had been purposefully collapsed, shortly after the next intersection they came to after the first set of stairs. They had had to shoot their way across, clawing for any amount of cover they could. Nihlus and Saren had each taken glancing blows, their shields dropping more than once to sustained Geth fire.

Finally, after over sixty meters and three platforms with little to no actual cover, they had reached this platform; the final one before the dig site and the last known location of the Prothean beacon. Also, the "large force of Geth" Alenko had mentioned.

They'd been pushed, for the first time since they hit the ground, Shepard could see the Spectres prioritize surviving over banter and quips. She, herself, knew that if she had come down here with a squad of Alliance soldiers, she would have lost someone. A small part of her, way back in the back of her mind, felt proud that she was keeping up with these elite Turians. She shut that shit down, quickly. That kind of thinking usually precluded a stray bullet to the head.

As if on cue, a Geth popped out of hiding, white against the dull grey, green, and brown of Eden Prime. Her scope snapped to it, centered, and she blew its head apart. Another flash of white drew her scope, and she fired as soon as the singular light was visible. She lined up a third shot, but had to duck down as more Geth she hadn't seen started shooting.

"I've got good news."

"Do share." Saren popped up and came back immediately, his shields shimmering. He hissed over the open comm. "Damn flashlight heads."

"Only one more White, about six basics, and I've narrowed down where the bomb is."

The Turians shared a look. Shepard waited a second, but got the sense that no thanks were incoming.

"After the grenade, I saw the largest concentration of the Geth in the corner behind the three red crates. They've got a good angle on us and this approach, and an even better angle on the opposite corner. I bet the bombs in that other corner. They wouldn't risk drawing overt attention to its location like they would with a large concentration of their forces."

"Huh. Sounds logical." Nihlus started futzing with his Omni-tool again.

"Geth like logic." Saren agreed, before finally popping up and getting a few shots off with his pistol. He settled down again. "Hah. Got him. Ok Nihlus, you circle around. I just put down the last White between us and the corner. Shepard and I will draw fire, and take out the Geth by the red crates."

"Copy."

Nihlus moved to the side, waited until Saren signaled, and then sprinted to the next stretch of cover. Saren and Shepard popped up at once, firing on the Geth by the red crates. The next several seconds passed in a blur, with Saren and Shepard brazenly standing and moving forward, drawing fire that allowed Nihlus to make it to the corner. Fortunately, Shepard guessed right.

As soon as he arrived, he yelped in the comm. By the time Shepard and Sarem dropped the last Geth and made it to him and the bomb, he finished the last set of hacking protocols, and the explosive let out the three-toned beep. Shepard glimpsed the time and winced. _Too close._ **_Way_ ** _too close._

Saren nodded like it was just another day. "Good work, Nihlus. I knew there's a reason I invited you."

"Aside from the devilish charm and the cool-under-pressure wit?" Shepard couldn't stop herself from chiming in. She'd only known the Turians for all but an hour, but she already felt a comradery with them. _Life or death will do that to you, I guess._

"And you, Jane Shepard." Saren turned bodily to her, and she blushed behind her helmet. "Great work. Seriously. You were invaluable."

Shepard cleared her throat and nonchalantly started looking around for more Geth to shoot. She was glad they couldn't see her face.

"I shoot good too." Shepard winced at herself. She could **not** stop. What had gotten into her? The damn Turians had. The two confident, sexy…

**_STOP!_ **

"Uh...anyways. We're not done yet, boys." Shepard jerked her head toward the pathway cut directly through the mountain wall, perpendicular to the catwalks they had been traversing. Shepard guessed the monorail continued, connecting to other distant parts of the colony. "Dig site should be through there."

"Right," Saren kept looking at her for a second, before leading the way. "Keep an eye out. There could be more of 'em."

They passed, one by one, through the tight corridor. The walls were made of hewn stone and packed dirt. It felt like squeezing through a cave; it was just wide enough for smaller crates to be wheeled through. Shepard guessed that the larger crates she saw were hauled here to the dig site, either for storage or for supplying the site. After a minute of tense, silent walking, they reached the other side.

They were deposited out into a larger, roughly circular area, open with gentle sloping hills on the sides rather than the steep bluffs they crossed before getting to the monorail. Across and to the left from where they entered, the concrete-mix ground gave way to dirt and huge rocks. It looked almost like an old-style quarry. A dirt path descended a few meters into the ground, but it still seemed to be open to the sky. The Beacon must have been uncovered relatively shallowly.

There were signs of a battle here as well, blood and burnt bodies littered the ground, growing more concentrated the further away from the monorail and the closer to the depression on the other side. More dragon's teeth choked the sides here, all empty. There must have been fifty or sixty packed into the area. The bodies left must have been unable to be turned to the husks. Not intact enough?

Nihlus gestured to them. "Explains all the husks on the catwalks."

Saren nodded to the aftermath of battle across the way, where they headed. "Explains the Geth attacking here and now."

"The only question is how they knew about the Beacon," Shepard spoke up. She still held her rifle and kept a wary eye on the surroundings. There weren't a lot of places a Geth or husk could hide, but she wasn't taking chances this close to the end. In her experience, that was when the worst seemed to lurk. "Who knew about the Beacon's excavation? Aside from Captain Anderson, you two, and Commander Rollins?"

The Spectres looked at her, suddenly quiet.

"Forget I asked." Shepard brushed past the awkwardness. She had forgotten they were far above her in the authoritative sense. Her Omni-tool pinged several times, as multiple dog tags were detected. She reflexively added them to a file. She'd sort it later and send it off to the appropriate reports. "Anyways, we don't have to worry about Rollins having spilled the beans." She nodded towards a particularly un-intact corpse, where the late Commander's dog tags had pinged. "Doubt they would have treated their informant **that** unkindly."

"Perhaps." Saren surveyed the corpses, but without seeing his face, she didn't know how he felt about it. She wondered again if he was an Ex-military. _Did you fight against Anderson in the FCW?_ She didn't know what to think about that. She ignored the implication and the train of thought.

Nihlus telegraphed his opinion of the carnage more openly. He shook his head in disgust at the gratuitous violent remnants. For as skilled as the Turian Spectre was, he didn't seem to enjoy violence. _Why did you become a Spectre then, I wonder?_

She was pulled from her musings as they finally reached the dig site, the dirt path extending down before them, before turning sharply out of sight. Their radars remained unscrambled, but that didn't mean Geth weren't abound. Nihlus, however, did find something on his Omni-tool.

"It's still here. The Beacon, I'm detecting it below. It's definitely Prothean. The signals are...unmistakable."

Saren looked curious. "They must have planned on blowing it - and a large portion of the colony - up, denying anyone else from getting it. That doesn't track though. Surely the Alliance would have studied it as much as they could have after pulling it out of the ground. It's been over a week. No one could have resisted poking at it."

Shepard admitted that that made sense. "Unless, the scientists who had studied it were killed, or they didn't get anything from it? Maybe the Geth got something from it and didn't want anyone else to be able to do the same."

"Perhaps," Saren said again, slowly. "Regardless. We'll get no answers up here. Stay sharp."

The trio headed down, Shepard turning and making sure no one came up behind them. When they reached the turn in the path, Shepard heard the Turians let out a gasp of surprise. She turned and echoed them.

Before them, standing at least three meters tall and set on a sweeping pedestal of obvious ancient alien design, the Beacon sat. Faint bluish lights lit the odd metal structure, which was thicker at the base, tapering to a third of the thickness for the last half of its height. Shepard had never seen anything like it. She felt a sense of awe, not unlike when she saw the ship before, but this feeling was overtly mystical and interesting, rather than occult and horrifying.

"Wow," was the perfect summation she could speak.

"Alright. Well it's here, we're here. There doesn't seem to be any Geth here. I'll call for pick up." Nihlus shuffled in, skirting toward the edge of the circular depression. Shepard tore her eyes away and stepped closer to Nihlus. Saren still looked at the beacon, seemingly transfixed.

Half paying attention to Nihlus' call over the comm, Shepard watched Saren. What about him was so appealing anyway? She felt slightly guilty for being lax on her self-imposed guard duty, but she rationalized it by telling herself that if there was any Geth left, they would have attacked them before they got to the Beacon.

She went through the different aspects of Saren. The most obvious were his eyes. The shockingly bright blue eyes. As far as she was aware, most Turians had dark, dull eyes. Brighter colors were rare, and usually only in biotics. She hadn't seen him utilize any, though. _Maybe he wasn't very proficient?_

 _Or he didn't need them?_ **That** thought intoxicated her. She leaned against the wall, keeping the Turians and the dirt path in her field of view.

He was competent, confidently so. Almost arrogantly, but he knew exactly how to toe the line. Tease it. Was it the novelty of being a Turian, with exotic eyes, and a penchant for backing up his talk with the walk, that made him so attractive for her? It had to be. She was no stranger to sexuality, but there was something **more** with Saren Arterius. Something beyond the raw sexual tension Shepard was familiar with.

She had known plenty of men and women who exuded the same confidence and competence, but none had affected her this way. Even Nihlus, who she also admitted was quite attractive, didn't have that same pull on her. She found herself gazing at Saren, who was slowly approaching the Beacon. Maybe, after this, she would - suddenly Saren yelped and was yanked hard into the air in front of the Beacon. The lights shifted from vaguely blue, to violent orange.

Shepard began running, pushing off the wall. She leaped into the air, crashing into Saren, as he began to cry out in pain. Immediately Shepard took his place in midair. She was dimly aware of the Turian falling, unmoving to the ground, then everything went white.

Jane found herself, nude, in an unknown room. She lay on a couch, distinctly aware of her exposed nipples, perched atop her bare breast, hardening at the sudden cold air. She looked around and saw plush furniture, ornate tables and intricate art pieces surrounding her. Then, suddenly, a warmth from below, sweet and wet, began spreading from between her thighs, and her breasts began to heave excitedly, welcoming the familiar sensation. She closed her eyes, ecstasy mounting, becoming all-consuming. She could feel and hear someone on the couch with her; their scent, earthy, almost floral, filled her nostrils, intoxicating her. 

Someone - **skilled!** \- was eating her out! The realization of what was happening filled her mind, strange at first, but it quickly became natural, almost expected. Moments ago she was...what was she doing? She couldn't remember. All that mattered, here and now, was the wet, sensual lapping at her pussy. Her unknown partner placed their soft hands on Jane’s hips, the quiet act starting to become louder, the vigor increasing. 

Jane moaned, bucking, as she grasped at the head of her partner. She felt strange, some-what flexible skin with faint ridges, almost like braille. They were malleable, slightly, but still maintained some form, as a massive wave of pleasure hit her and she reflexively grasped them. She arched her back, digging her ass into the soft couch, and began grinding herself against the lips of her partner. In the midst of her climax, she rose, half-sitting, and opened her eyes, looking down. 

A blue head, mounted with several sweeping crests, heralded the Asari who was feverishly trying to keep up with Jane, licking and sucking against Jane’s wet cunt, now swelling with the intense orgasm. The blue-skinned alien glanced up and their eyes met, electricity sparking, a mirror to Jane’s climax.

“ **Fuck!** ” Jane moaned, falling back as she continued to come, her body rocking with each spike. 

As it faded, the Asari slowly looked up, a smile tugging at her glistening lips. Her face, cerulean skin marked with several dark facial spots - freckles, was wet with Jane’s juices. The Asari was nude as well and slowly, shifted to her knees, sticking her round ass in the air, sultry dimples flirting with Jane. As the Asari raised herself, Jane’s eyes were drawn to the breasts, hanging low and busty enough that she would need both hands to cup just a single one. Crowning each, a midnight blue nipple cut the air, inviting - begging - Jane to pinch it; play with it.

The Asari crawled forward, leveling her face with Janes. Her breasts, comparatively massive, hung above Jane’s. With each breath they took, their nipples met, kissing - foretelling. Jane drank in the sight of this beautiful creature, slowly raising her hands. As if a bell was rung, the two moved towards the other at the same time, grasping, grinding, grunting and gasping. They twisted, Jane moving to the top position, her hands exploring the lightly ridged body of the Asari, her soft tits, round ass, wet pussy. They twisted again, Jane once more on the bottom; their lips met, sharing in each other's sweet taste, their tongues wrestled, testing the other's vigor, their fingers stroked the others wet thighs, exploring deep into their partners begging cunts. Their movements and moans became louder and louder, pulsing in tandem with their climactic releases. 

Then, she heard other sounds, some similar, some vastly different. She heard groans of pleasure fill the once empty room. Jane looked around and saw a menagerie of gender and species engaging in a multitude of various sexual acts. Jane, wonder struck, found herself in the middle of an orgy. Her partner began watching as well, but maintained contact with Jane’s pussy, slowly massaging with her deft fingers, building toward a third climax.

Near them, an Asari Matriarch, sporting an erect, veiny cock, at least half a foot long, climbed onto a couch, behind the folded form of a raven-haired human woman. The Asari’s eyes were on the pale, perfect ass waving in the air and gave it a rough slap, watching it jiggle invitingly. The Asari gave a momentary pause, lined up her thick Asari-cock, and thrust it into the dripping cunt. She took the human roughly from behind and they both grunted, satisfied at each thrust. The Asari’s large breasts began swinging wildly as the Matriarch shoved the human’s face down and she moved to her feet. With her new position, the Matriarch began to slam her thighs down, grinning at the magnificent sight of the perfect ass billowing. As Jane observed, the woman began screaming in pleasure, begging for more in a thick, sexy accent. The Matriarch and human started glowing a vibrant biotic blue, and started to float, while the Asari continued plowing, her thrusts turning them slowly to give a wonderful view of the pair.

On the other side, a young, thin Quarian, with violet-colored skin and an impressive hourglass figure sat on top of a grey Geth, grinding. Her tits, perky and small, still caught Jane’s attention, as the Quarian grasped them, pulling at her own nipples. She slammed her hips down, riding the Geth, letting out little squeals of pleasure at each meeting of flesh and metal. The Geth itself, quiet, was attached with a multitude of ribbed tentacles, which began uncoiling towards the Quarian. Several extended out, prying the Quarian’s hands away from her chest, splaying the arms out to the sides and forcing the tits forward. Two tentacles followed the first group and replaced her hands, squeezing the tiny breasts of the Quarian, framing them and plucking at her now hard nipples. More played across her small waist, before moving to the back and massaging the Quarian’s plump ass, helping her ride with more of an impact. Even more slowly slid up, between her tits, towards her open mouth.

Jane, wet again, turned momentarily to her partner, who was smirking at her. They kissed again, with renewed gusto, as her partner started playing with Jane’s pussy, spreading it open with her fingers. Jane grasped the blue tits, tugging at the nipples and tried to force her tongue through the lips of her partner. Her hips began to shake again, already. The Asari teased her, alternating between massaging her pulsing clit and slipping a finger into her waiting pussy. Jane broke off the kiss and looked around again, desperate to see more debauchery.

A pair of Turians, writhed on a third sofa nearby. Their face markings were unknown to Jane and from this angle, she couldn't identify their gender; though she couldn’t care less. Their avian-esque forms drew her eyes down the length of one and up the other, drinking in their sharp, striking features. Their hips, prominent and eye-grabbing, grinded against each other. One, clearly the top, guided the other one to a better position, and then began plunging his hips forward, then back, then forward again. The Turian's mandibles opened in time to the thrusts, pleasure obvious and infectious. The Turian bottom, moaned and rocked with each thrust, grasping at the couches cushions. Jane watched, hungry for more, silently begging for a glimpse of the Turian top entering the bottom.

Another sight dragged her attention away. A nude, massively endowed Krogan towered over a timid looking pair of human women, also exposed. Their bare breasts hung above their supple waists, nipples hard. They looked up at the enormous cock of the Krogan, then lunged forward, splitting it between them, each wrapping their fingers around its girth. They spit on it, slathering it with their strokes, their tongues licking it down the full length. One, the more adventurous, opened her mouth wide, forcing the tip into her mouth, while the other moved behind her, wrapping her legs around the waist of the other. The Krogan grinned wickedly, wrapped his enormous hands around her head, and began pumping his huge cock down her throat, expanding it. The other woman started to help, holding the woman's head against her chest, and started kneading the other woman's tits with one hand, the other reaching forward and grasping at the swinging quads of the alien. The woman being deep throated kept one futile hand on the Krogans thigh as if to control the onslaught of cock. Her other hand moved to her own cunt, as she moaned in pleasure around the bulging cock in her throat.

As Jane watched, she felt a second wave of pleasure, as her Asari partner started to suck on Jane’s tits, grabbing a nipple with her teeth, giving a playful bite. One of the Asari’s hands stayed below, continuing to tease Jane, the other moved up to Jane’s mouth. Jane’s hips started quivering again, and she closed her eyes again. The Asari sensed the coming orgasm and thrust two fingers into Jane’s sopping wet pussy, rubbing her palm on Jane’s sensitive clit. It was all Jane could do to start grinding herself against the hand of her partner, before she lost herself in the sex; the sounds around her, the sweet smell of it, the feeling of ecstasy taking hold.

Just as suddenly as it started, it all fell apart.

The drone; the all-encompassing and horrible sound, tore through her. The room was gone, as was the orgy. Above her, the ship floated, it's terrible lights-for-eyes glared at her.

Flashes of images began crowding her vision. Death and destruction. Genetic manipulation. Mechanical beings. Ancient. Horrifyingly powerful. They swept like a flood through everything, destroying and converting. She saw an empire, great and powerful. Never-ending. It was nothing before the onslaught.

Then, nothing.

* * *

Jane woke slowly, her brain pounding against her skull. The glaring white light above her stabbed into her eyes, forcing her to shut them again. She moaned and tried to sit up, but an arm held her down.

"Shepard! Don't move just yet." The voice, sultry and accented, belonged to Dr. Chakwas. Jane always thought Karin had aged beautifully…"It's alright Commander. You're okay. You're aboard the Normandy, in the medbay."

Jane laid back again, grinning. _Of course I'm alright, you minx. Now get into bed with me, already! I just had the best_ \- her smile faded as she remembered just what she had seen. _Wait. did I just hit on Dr. Chakwas? Sultry?_

"You had us worried there, Shepard. How are you feeling?" The doctor's voice gave no indication she had observed Shepard's stupid smirk.

"I'm alright, Doctor." Shepard flickered her eyes, hesitantly, squinting against the too-bright light. "Get some new lights?." She tried sitting up again and Karin helped her this time. The older woman adjusted the back of the bed so Shepard could lean against it and lowered the lights with her Omni-tool.

Her head still pounded against itself. She winced, involuntarily. "How long was I out?" She surveyed the med bay, the long rectangular room was empty, her bed the only one currently occupied. Another bed at the other end looked like someone had just woken from it; the cover had fallen halfway off the bed. Chakwas probably. Shepard ignored the fluttering in her stomach at the thought of the attractive woman in front of her sleeping. She felt off. _What the hell happened to me?_

"About fifteen hours. Whatever happened with the Beacon did a number on you."

"The Beacon? You know?"

"Well, Captain Anderson figured it was best that I know exactly what happened to you two down there. Not that I think it matters, but the nice Spectre agreed."

"Nihlus?" Shepard sat up straighter. ' _Two of you'?_ "Saren! Is he - ."

"I'm alright, Jane." Saren chose that moment to walk in the medbay, out of his armor and helmet. His bright blue eyes fixed her to the bed. He wore a light-colored garment, tailored and of obvious Turian make and he walked with the same confident gait she had already learned to pick out. Jane’s mind reeled, the juxtaposition of her...dream to reality; it made her keenly aware of herself, in just a medical shift, back now bare.

"Yes." Chakwas continued, either blissfully oblivious or blessedly cognizant. "Whatever that Prothean Beacon did to you two, either gave Shepard a more...concentrated dose, or it just doesn't affect Turians the same as humans. Unfortunately, we'll probably never know."

Shepard gave the Doctor a questioning glance.

"Nihlus reported that it was destroyed, after it finished...doing whatever it did."

"A shame, certainly. I just finished debriefing. The general belief seems to be that it suffered a system overload. Knocked us both on our asses, real good." The blue eyes continued to watch Shepard, as Saren stepped further into the room, sitting on the bed that was undone. Shepard changed her theory on who had laid there, trying hard to ignore the increased flutterings. _Damn it. Am I a recruit again, horny for the hot officers?_

"Well, Spectre Arterius, since you've returned, maybe now I can give you your medical report?" Chakwas waited until Saren offhandedly waved. She sighed and continued. "Physically, you're both fine. From both of you, however, I detected some abnormal beta waves while you were unconscious." At their expectant silence, she clarified patiently. "Unusual brain activity."

Shepard nodded and Saren kept staring at her. It was starting to get weird. She eyed the Turian out of the corner of her eye.

"I also noticed an increase in both of your rapid eye movements - a sign often associated with intense dreaming." It was a leading statement, one Shepard knew Chakwas liked to employ. If she suspected something, but wanted confirmation, she loved to get her patients to help fill in the blanks. Many may see it as laziness, but Shepard saw it for what it really was. Karin cared - really cared - for the soldiers she worked on.

"That -," Saren stood suddenly. "Would be the visions I saw. I assume you saw them too, Jane?" Saren stepped closer, an inquisitive sheen to his eyes. Shepard noticed that his lack of face markings meant his eyes were the sole focusing aspect of his face. His mandibles twitched slightly at her stare.

Shepard saw flashes of the vision again.

An Asari, face buried between her thighs. Turians writhing together, nude.

A monstrous wave of death and destruction, bid by mechanical beings. That ship with glowing red lights.

_Did he..did he see that too? All of it or just...parts?_

Shepard looked away, toward the Doctor. "Yeah. I'm not sure what I saw, but I definitely saw some things. It's not really clear."

"Hmm. Well, I'll still add it to my report. For now, Spectre Arterius, if you will excuse the Commander and I. We have one last test to run through before I release her."

Saren flexed his mandibles and gave a curt nod. He exited without a backward look. Shepard let out the breath she'd held in subconsciously since the Turian arrived. She felt Chakwas looking at her, concerned.

"I told you, Doctor. I'm fine. Just some minor throbbing." She pointed half-heartedly at her head.

The Doctor smirked. "I know you're fine, Commander. You're a lot tougher than many give you credit for. Remember I was there at Elysium."

Shepard didn't say anything.

"You know, when I was younger, there was this absolutely **gorgeous** field medic..."

Shepard couldn't help the smirk that crossed her lips at that. "Alright, yes. Saren is...fascinating. His...Turian 'flirting' is just taking some getting used to, that's all."

Chakwas smirked too, shaking her head lightly at the admission. Shepard knew her well enough to know she wasn't like Pressly; she saw no discernable difference in species, other than the biologically tuned differences. When Shepard was recovering after Elysium, Chakwas' calm voice and bedside manner helped the younger soldier recover and grow, immeasurably.

"Well, I think it's nice that you relax a little."

Shepard snorted. "Yeah. Once we brought the Beacon back to the Citadel, I was going to ask him if we wanted to actually make a move or if he was content just watching me." Shepard sighed. "Something tells me that relaxation isn't going to be high up on our list of priorities now. Not after what those Geth did down there."

"Yes, a dark matter, that." Chakwas nodded empathetically and they fell silent. Eventually Chakwas spoke up again. "Well, I've probably given you all the time I can to recover from the 'Turian flirting', as you said. The Captain told me to tell him when you were awake and feeling better."

Shepard nodded thanks, swinging her legs off the bed.

"There are some actual clothes in the backroom, Commander. Unless you want to keep drawing the eyes of all the crew when you walk out there."

"Good point, Doctor. That'd be...downright uncouth of me." Shepard smirked again and headed for the back room.

* * *

Once Shepard left the medbay's backroom, dressed in casual officer clothes, she made her way across the mess hall. She heard muttering voices behind the Captain's closed doors and could tell the two Spectres were talking to Anderson. She waited a moment, knocked and stood at parade rest.

The door opened, sliding apart silently. Her assessment was correct, both Saren and Nihlus were there. The former gave no hint that he had just spent entirely too long staring at Shepard and the latter gave her a polite nod and parting of his mandibles. Anderson leaned against his desk, which was pushed up against the right wall. Further in, his bed sat nestled in a nook.

"Commander, good to see you up. Sounds like that Beacon hit you hard. You sure you're alright?" Anderson looked concerned, but not in the doting way. He never did, it was always about caring for the people under him. That was one of the reasons Shepard loved him. He didn't pamper, but damn it he cared.

She nodded, giving the two Spectres respectful glances. She began her report. "Captain, I apologize for not bringing that Beacon back. I - ."

Anderson waved her words away. "It's not your fault, Shepard. I'll get your written report later. For now, I wanted to talk to you for another reason." He offered her the seat of the desk, moving to stand to the Spectres left. When she sat, back straight, he proceeded. "Earlier, you asked what we meant when you said you were chosen for this mission."

Anderson waved at the Spectres. "The unearthing of the Beacon was a happy accident. A good first mission. Initially, Spectres Arterius and Kryik, along with several high ranking officials in the Alliance, selected you to be evaluated."

Shepard glanced between the three of them, concern blossoming in her chest. **_Evaluated?_ ** _The hell does that...oh. Shit._

Anderson continued. "We - the Alliance - have been pushing for this for...a long time."

Saren spoke now, a low purr. "You held off an enemy assault on Elysium. Single-handedly."

"You showed not only courage, but also incredible skill." Nihlus piped in now, taking a small step forward. "That's why we put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."

"As Spectres, we represent the Councils power and authority," Saren finished. "We are an elite group, yet we see the potential humanity, and you individually, have to offer for the galaxy, as well as the Spectres."

"If a human is accepted into their ranks...it shows how far humanity has come, Shepard." Anderson mirrored Nihlus' move. "We want a larger role in shaping interstellar policy and we want more say with the Council. **This** is the way we approach these goals, Commander."

Shepard was shocked and was dimly aware of her mouth hanging ajar. She hurriedly closed it and stood. She looked Anderson in the eyes and saluted. "I understand, sir. Thank you for the opportunity." She turned slightly to the Turians. "I apologize for wasting your time."

"Wasting our time?" Nihlus snorted. "Nonsense, Shepard. You performed admirably. The destruction of the beacon was not your fault - it was none of ours."

Saren stepped forward, finally. "Agreed. Sometimes..." He glanced at Anderson quickly, but otherwise maintained focus on Shepard. "...the mission goes sideways. We did the best we could. You did as well. In fact, you kept up with us in a way few could have."

"I...I'm still a candidate?" Shepard floundered momentarily, but quickly caught herself. "I see."

"Yes. That mission was the first of many steps that we will all be taking together." Saren nodded at her again, blue eyes not wavering from hers.

Shepard felt a resolution within her. Something she didn't know she wanted. It wasn't just the prestige of being a Spectre - even the first human Spectre. She tore her gaze away from Saren and looked at Anderson. "Thank you." She said it as sincerely as she could. The chance to prove Anderson right...that was what drove her now.

She turned back to the Turians. "So, what are the next steps, boys?"

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Ch. 2 - Diplomacy: A Game of Wits and Ecstasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and the Normandy begin their investigation of the Geth attack on Eden Prime and the mysterious vision given to Shepard and Saren from the Prothean Beacon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, so I know I sorta hinted at these not being frequent updates and then I post the next one like a week later...but my point still stands! I'm a creature of passions and this story keeps bugging my brain so I decided to get it out now.
> 
> This one is a little...slower? Lots of dialogue, worldbuilding, story-progressing, etc. We do meet several characters that the community loves, so that's fun! Next chapter, we progress "the Mission" even further, and three exciting characters will be re-introduced in my Re-imagining! Exciting!
> 
> As always, the following version of this story is the un-cut version and contains some good ol' fashioned sex. If you want to read the edited versions without explicit sex depictions, they will be posted on Fanfiction.net
> 
> Enjoy! Til next time!

The next few days aboard the Normandy just about pushed Jane to her limits. 

At first, Jane thought that maybe she would start training one on one with the Spectres, or sit in on reports to the Council, but quickly realized that wouldn’t be the case - at least not on the Normandy and not yet. She approached it, mistakingly, like she approached ICT training, years ago. Instead, what followed was a long, five days aboard the now cramped feeling frigate. 

First, they circled back to help the survivors on Eden Prime, picked up Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Gunnery Williams, and gathered what they could of the Prothean Beacon. Then they waited in-system for a couple of days until more Alliance forces showed up. Then it was a quick jaunt to Arcturus to drop off the last two surviving Alliance soldiers. Captain Anderson had an all-day meeting with the legendary Admiral Hackett, then they headed off again, back to the center of civilized society in Citadel space. Their destination, the Citadel, though no one told her why. She supposed it wouldn’t be so bad - this wasn’t the first time she’d been ordered around with no clarification as to why - if there hadn’t been two additional obstacles to her enjoying the otherwise leisurely journey. 

The vision projected to her mind via the Prothean Beacon plagued her every night. Each time she would sleep, no matter the subject of the dream, it would inevitably shift to the nightmarish vision of death and despair, with the haunting Ship with red lightning in the center of it all. She asked Dr. Chakwas for pills that would induce dreamless sleep, but of course, they didn’t help. Jane was starting to think that the Beacon’s pieces, now residing in the Garage, were close enough that her memories overpowered the drugs. That, or, more disturbingly, these weren’t machinations of her mind conjuring up dreams; they were something more.

She found herself avoiding Saren, the one other person she could feasibly talk to about the visions, as every time she saw his damn blue eyes, the  **other** parts of the vision replayed before her. It wasn’t that she found herself disgusted or embarrassed by the sex - the opposite actually! She didn’t trust herself to remain professional with the enigmatic Turian Spectre, nor Nihlus, even. Ever since the vision, she couldn’t stop thinking about replicating it with the attractive aliens when she saw them. She knew if she found herself alone with either of them, she may not be able to stop herself; she didn’t think she would  **want** to stop herself. It was a line she was careful not to cross; in a command that wasn’t hers, to do so would be entirely disrespectful to Captain Anderson. 

Of course, the Turians, to make matters more annoying, kept bumping into her every time she turned around! Nihlus, at least, was only observing her in a professional sense. Saren, however, kept staring at her as if he, too, could see a vision of wild sexual abandon. More than once, Jane was unable to sleep and would begin to stalk the Normandy’s dark halls. Of course, Saren and his light-blue eyes would be doing the same and she would be forced to retreat to her pod, trapped. 

The only thought that kept Jane sane during this time was remembering her grueling N-course training. She remembered the combat diving course; training herself to hold her breath for several minutes at a time, conducting complicated combat maneuvers underwater, and maintaining distinct directional orientation. She told herself this was just like that, that she completed those courses, and even went on to complete the rest. She  **was** N7 and some attractive Turian Spectres wouldn’t change that. 

The other thought that saved her was knowing that as soon as she got to the Citadel, the Wards would have a club or two where she could...get relief for the pressure building inside her. 

* * *

Finally, blessedly, they arrived at the Serpent Nebula and made for the Citadel; Captain Anderson, Saren, Nihlus, and Shepard all crowded around Joker and Pressly on the bridge. As the Normandy burst through a dense bank of celestial gasses, they watched in the distance the massive space station spiraled closer. The forty-five-kilometer megalith jutted out of clouds of vibrant blue and purple and pink, a glittering jewel marking the way to galactic civilization’s centerpiece.

Shepard whistled at the amazing view, planting her hands behind her head, lacing her fingers. She glanced at Anderson, who was similarly awed at the sight. Little pinpricks of light gleamed around the station, ships, hundreds of thousands of them, bustled like bees around a hive. One of them, larger than any other, paced like a guard dog, scattering the smaller ships in its wake. 

“Look at the size of that ship!” Pressly, half forgetting his console, watched with wide eyes as the behemoth passed closer to them. 

“The Destiny Ascension,” Anderson commented, watching it float overhead. “Flagship of the Citadel fleet, pride of the Asari Republics.”

Joker sniffed, “Well, size isn’t everything.” He derisively coasted the Normandy toward the massive open arms of the Citadel. 

Shepard snickered. “Touchy, Joker?”

He waved a hand. “Nah. I’m just saying you need firepower too.”

“When it comes to firepower, pilot, that thing’s size matters.” Nihlus nodded at the Ascension, admiration in his eyes. 

Saren continued, for once, not looking at Shepard. “And  **that** ship is  **impressive** .”

“Whatever. It still looks like a hairdryer.”

Surprisingly, Anderson got in on it. “Its main gun could rip through the barriers on any Alliance ship.”

“Okay, I get it. A big, fucking hairdryer.” Joker switched on the comm, trying to forestall any further jibes. “Citadel Control, this is SSV Normandy, requesting permission to dock.”

“Stand by for clearance, Normandy.” The voice on the other side sounded bored. Shepard couldn’t tell the species through the distortion of the comm.

Nihlus chimed in again, “It could probably rip through most of the Hierarchy’s ships with ease, as well. Good thing it's on our side.”

“Fine!” Joker threw up his hands. “A big, fucking hairdryer, on steroids.” 

Pressly giggled, the Turians shared a mandible wobble, and Shepard and Anderson smirked at each other. 

Another moment passed before the same voice from Citadel Control called over the comm. “Clearance granted, Normandy, go ahead and come on in. Transferring you to an Alliance operator...now.”

Another operator, this one human, from the Alliance tower, called directions and over the next few minutes they made way for Dock 422, near the Citadel Embassies. When they finally docked, Anderson, Shepard, and the Spectre’s made to disembark. 

Curiously, Anderson told Shepard to gear up, as she would be on duty while at the Citadel. The Spectre’s did not need to be told and did so of their own volition. Soon, within half an hour, the four of them stood in the airlock, waiting for it to open and release them to the Citadel. 

* * *

The walkway they exited onto led them to an elevator, which they rode down in silence.  _ Saren and Nihlus have put on different faces here. They’re like statues. Stoic. Emotionless. _ She still caught Anderson shooting glances at Saren, dipped in some sort of venom. Saren pointedly ignored the Captain. She still didn’t know what to think of the two, but she became more and more sure they had had run-ins in the past.  _ And Anderson’s run-ins likely weren’t as friendly as mine. _

The elevator descended into a wide-open area, dozens of people milling about. It looked like the welcome center of some sort of shopping center or hotel. Shepard soon found out, according to the elevator’s VI, that it was the C-Sec Academy. Officers of all sorts; Turian, Salarian, Quarian, Asari, and even a singular Yahg wandered to and fro. What Jane didn’t see, were a lot of humans; she saw maybe one for every two dozen aliens.

She watched the various denizens move about; some headed to and fro the Requisitions Office to the right. Behind them, another walkway extended down to another elevator. A sign marked it as Ward’s access and it was clogged with coming and going officers, many of those coming in dragged suspects or delinquents, while those leaving smirked - or the alien equivalent - at the new guests of the Academy.

“Commander.” Captain Anderson called back to her. He and the Turians were already a few meters away and headed towards the large double doors directly in front of them. “We have an appointment.” 

Jane jogged ahead, dodging the enormous Yahg, who lumbered towards the offices on the left side of the building. Saren and Nihlus, she saw, hadn’t waited for her and were now almost a dozen meters ahead.  _ At least I’ll be able to focus better. Just don’t look at those hips. _ Their absence also allowed her a moment alone with Anderson, a gift that was becoming increasingly more rare, these days.

They walked now through a beautiful white palisade, the Presidium. The landscape gently curved up and away into a blue sky dotted with clouds. Jane knew to it be faux, automatically generated to give the illusion that freezing cold space wasn’t the literal horizon. Around them, bright green plants and trees gave a distinct park-like attitude to the surrounding. 

“It’s quite the sight, isn’t it?” Anderson mused, waving back at the diverse C-Sec station. “Different species all working together to police the greatest space station in the known galaxy. I know quite a bit of us back home - and even here - believe we should have a higher presence in C-Sec as well.”

Anderson continued. “While I agree it is important for us to take part in all that we can, what they don’t realize is that  **fifteen million** people live on the Citadel. Less than a fifth of that is humans.” He now waved around at the hundreds of denizens, species of all kinds, meandering about. Shepard saw more humans now, but they were still clearly in the minority. “Could you imagine what kind of shit show we’d be in if two hundred thousand humans tried to police fifteen million aliens?” 

He shook his head. “We’d really be called upstarts then. And they would be right.” He finally held Shepard’s gaze and she wasn’t surprised to see a strong fervor. She had heard Anderson speak of this on many occasions. “We’re in this  **together** , can’t they see that?” 

_ And what is  _ **_this_ ** _ , Anderson? Who are  _ **_they_ ** _? You always say things that make it seem like you know what’s going to happen. _

“People see what they want to see, sir.” Shepard gave him as comforting a smile as she could and looked back to the Turians, who were now even further away. “If I can ask, sir...where are we going? Everyone’s been pretty hush-hush with what’s going to happen next.”

Anderson nodded, but didn't pick up his pace. “We’ll be going directly to the Council.” He pointed ahead, in the distance a great white tower speared towards the sky. “Admiral Hackett and I had a discussion with Ambassador Udina already and appraised him of the situation. Word of the attack hasn’t been allowed to spread. We have no idea what would happen if we accused the Geth of this atrocity.”

“Accused, sir? With all due respect, we have ample evidence: my helmet recorded the whole thing! The footage transmitted from Eden Prime  **during** the attack!”

“Think about it, Commander. The Geth and Quarians are still newcomers to galactic politics, just like us. Not only that, the Geth are an enigma. They are the only AI species and barely have any individual rights as it is. If we name them enemies, we also name the Quarians. Disregarding the political turmoil that would cause, we are not capable of standing up to the most advanced technological species nor the species that came close to killing them off only a couple hundred years ago. Can you imagine trying to fight them both, at once?”

Shepard stopped to think.  _ When you put it like that… _ “That’s a fair assessment, sir.” Even now, Shepard looked around the Presidium and saw Quarians and Geth mixed in with the other races. The Geth she saw were unlike those she encountered on Eden Prime. Those she had fought looked...hard, with sharp angular edges.  _ Geared for war. _ These on the Citadel had more sweeping, curved ends, a natural-looking gait to their walk.  _ They follow their Quarians like children follow their parents. _

Shepard turned back to Anderson. “I don’t particularly look forward to the ensuing politics, if I’m being honest with you, sir.”

“Shepard, you can always be honest with me.” Anderson gave her a fatherly slap on the shoulder. “Just like I strive to be as honest as I can with you. I can safely say we’re in the same boat there.”

Shepard hesitated. She looked ahead at the Turians, twenty meters ahead now. Now was as good a time as any to ask. 

She opened her mouth, but Anderson beat her to the punch. “It may not be my place, Shepard...but dammit, I  **do** care for you, child.” Shepard looked back at the Captain. “Nihlus...he is a good man. Skilled, brave. An exemplary Turian.” Now, Anderson hesitated. 

“Saren?” Shepard prepared herself.  _ What horrible truth do you know, Anderson? _

“Saren,” Anderson spoke slowly, weighing his words. “Spectre Arterius is a Turian who knows when to bend the rules. And why. That makes him exceptionally dangerous.” 

“You’ve had run-ins with him before, then? In the FCW?” Shepard kept her eyes on Anderson’s who were now clouded with painful memories. Now that the door was opened, she knew she couldn’t close it even if she wanted to.  _ It still hurts to see you so pained. _

“Yes, you could say that. ‘Run-ins’.” He grunted, remembering. “During Shanxi, he commanded a platoon that was known for some...egregious actions towards the surrendered soldiers. When we arrived to liberate the planet, me and my squad stumbled into him and his platoon on the ground. They managed to escape before we saw what they did.”

“Egregious?” Shepard swallowed past the lump in her throat. 

“Turian torture techniques would be a more apt description for some of what his men did.” Anderson sounded bitter, spitting out the clarification. “After the Council stepped in to negotiate peace, Saren left the Hierarchy, as did his platoon. They were quite vocal about their distrust and distaste of humanity. Next thing I hear, Saren’s joined something called the Spectres. When I asked what the hell that meant, I was told he was effectively immune to any consequences.”

“What about the platoon?”

“They left for the Terminus. Became pirates, but they only pirated against humans. I was sent in on a black op to take them down. I brought them all to justice, Shepard, except that one.” He pointed ahead at Saren. 

Shepard’s head reeled. The Turian she thought she knew…  _ Those blue eyes. Could they really be so cruel? Capable of torture? _

“Why? Why did they torture soldiers? Did you ever find out?” She was desperate for a reason. The Saren she had gotten to know was rational. He wasn’t a bigot, was he?

Anderson shook his head. “Best we could tell, they wanted to get information about us. We were even newer to the galaxy then, than we are now. In their eyes, we were an unknown militant race that was doing something incredibly dangerous and stupid.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Shepard trying to come to terms with what Anderson just told her. 

Anderson sighed. “I told you, I would be honest with you, Shepard so I will. Even though...it's hard sometimes.” Shepard whipped back to the Captain, hoping. “We investigated. We interviewed the survivors strong enough to help but no one could confirm that Saren took part. Those pirates I took down? We confirmed every single one of them. But Saren? 

“He was never confirmed and he never deigned to answer our inquiries. To this day, I don’t know if he never tortured humans with his own hands, but his Turian pride as a Commander compelled him to cover for his men...or if he was just better at covering his own tracks and let his men take the fall.” Anderson let out a huge breath. “I don’t know which would be worse.”

Shepard looked down, mind ablaze with desperate questions and dangerous thoughts. She knew Anderson would only tell her these things because he was worried about her and cared for her. _ He’s seen the way Saren and I look at each other. _ He wouldn’t be so petty to try and turn her against Saren unless he felt he needed to help her. She finally met Anderson’s gaze again.

“Thank you, sir, for telling me. I’m sorry you had to relive those painful memories for my sake.”

Anderson smiled, “It wouldn’t be the first time I relived them. It may be the first time I relived them for the right reason, though.” He placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder, and looked ahead as they approached a large structure, the Council Tower. “One last thing, from this old man, if I may.”

They stopped at the foot of the structure, an elevator nearby. The Turian’s had already entered. 

“Saren and Nihlus - aliens, in general - are...intoxicating. Distracting and amazing. They are so different from us, but that doesn’t make them lesser  **or** greater. It makes them just like us. Diversity is what makes this galaxy as wondrous a place as it is, but at the end of the day, we’re all much more alike than we are different. Remember that.”

“I will, sir.” Shepard smiled, confused about Saren but glad to have Anderson with her.

“I’m proud of you, Shepard. You’re a damn hero in my book and I know you’ll prove it to everyone else here too. No matter what though,  **I’m** proud of you.”

Shepard’s smile was real this time as she pushed Saren from her mind. “Thank you, sir.”

“Let’s go. We’re already proving one stigmatism is true.” He looked back with a mirthful smile. “We humans are always late.” 

They headed for the elevator and Shepard’s first meeting with the Council. She had no clue what to expect.

* * *

“This is an outrage!” Ambassador Udina shouted, pacing back and forth on the dais across from the Council. “Not interfering with the Batarians throughout the Skyllian Verge is one thing, Councilors, but the Geth! The Geth have attacked a human colony - we are both races in Citadel Space and justice must be doled out!”

Behind the human Ambassador, Captain Anderson, Shepard, and the two Turian Spectres watched with eyebrows raised and jaws ajar. When Shepard and Anderson had arrived, Udina had met them outside the hearing chamber and gave them a brief rundown of what they could expect from the meeting, how to approach the delicate situation, and stressed the importance of being diplomatic. Shepard didn’t think Udina’s impassioned display towards the Council would do them any favors, even if what he was asking for was justified.

The Quarian Councilor looked understandably angry at the ferocious accusations from Udina. Council Naso’shimas vas Torna stood on the far right, next to the Salarian Councilor, Valern. Councilor Tevos and Councilor Sparatus of the Asari Republics and Turian Hierarchy followed, completing the half-circle of politicians. Valern looked bored, Tevos patiently waited for Udina to stop his tirade, and Sparatus was looking back and forth between the two Spectres and Shepard. 

Finally, Udina closed out his remarks. “If this was a Turian colony or a Salarian, you wouldn’t hesitate to step in. I demand action!” 

At this, Tevos let out a shocked blink, Valern brought his attention back to the meeting and Naso’shimas stepped forward slightly, bright eyes darkening almost to the same pale shade of violet as his skin. Sparatus, however, was the one who rebuked Udina. 

“You don’t get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador.” The flanged voice remained calm and measured, but Shepard felt that it carried a heavy weight. Udina paused for a moment at the chastisement.

Tevos sprung, using the lull as an opportunity. “The Geth attack is a matter of some concern.” She looked appreciatively at Naso’shimas, something unspoken passing between them. “We have reviewed the evidence you brought to the Council and will discuss this during the meeting. We must attempt to understand  **how** and  **why** a faction of Geth attacked Eden Prime and if we are able, how to prevent it from happening again.”

Udina seemed calmed by this and stepped back with a gracious bowing of his head. 

What followed was a mostly uneventful hour. The video footage from Eden Prime was consulted, both the one from Corporal Jenkins and the ones captured from Shepards HUD. When only her footage was selected to be shown, Anderson whispered to her that Spectres generally didn’t record their missions like the military did. 

Naso’shimas seemed physically sick at watching the actions of the Geth attackers.  _ Maybe there’s more to the children-parent metaphor than I originally thought. _ While Shepard was no politician, watching the genuine disgust on Councilor Naso’shimas’ face convinced her that he was as surprised at the attack as the rest.  _ Doesn’t mean the Quarian Admirals or the Geth hadn’t ordered it, though. _

Eventually the discussion turned to the Beacon. Nihlus and Anderson stepped forward to begin reporting on the mission; the arrival in the Utopia system, debriefing Shepard on the Beacon, the distress signal and video transmitted out from Eden Prime, and the eventual mission to confiscate the Beacon. 

While the two talked, Shepards Omni-tool received a text file, from Saren. Her heart jumped into her throat, reflexively. She had been able to banish him from her thoughts until now. She opened it as stealthily as she could. 

**_S.Arterius:_ ** _ ‘Didn’t get a chance to talk about the vision en route.’ _

**_J.Shepard:_ ** _ ‘Yeah. Was busy. Not sure what there is to talk about though.’ _

Saren actually turned to her, eyes widening in surprise at that. She tried her best to keep her eyes on Anderson and Nihlus giving their report.

**_S.Arterius:_ ** _ ‘Think there's plenty to talk about. Saw the Ship too, right? Wave of death, led by Geth.’ _

Shepard paused a moment, breathing deep. 

**_J.Shepard:_ ** _ ‘Yes.’ _

**_S.Arterius:_ ** _ ‘Should tell them. They’ll believe both of us.’ _

Shepard finally looked to Saren, meeting his blue eyes. She didn’t know what to think anymore.  _ If what Anderson’s told me is true...of  _ **_course_ ** _ it's true! He wouldn’t lie. But Saren...he looks so sincere now. He wants to help now, doesn’t he? _

Shepard finally nodded at Saren.

**_J.Shepard:_ ** _ ‘Take your lead, Spectre.’ _

Nihlus and Anderson continued, revealing that they had a lead on how the Geth knew about the Beacon. Shepard listened with interest, this was news to her. An unsanctioned databurst had been sent out from Commander Rollins’ Omni-tool, but only fragments remained. Of these fragments, one word stuck out: ‘Beacon’. Although the recipient was unknown, Nihlus assured that data-analysis was hopeful. The only other clue they had was that it seemed to have been sent somewhere in the Voyager cluster. As this investigation seemed less prominent than the other questions raised during the meeting, the Councilors gave Anderson and the Alliance leeway to finalize that thread.

Eventually, the reports on the mission finished and Saren took the dais. He paused a moment, seemingly collecting his thoughts. “Councilors, as is mentioned briefly in the mission report files, before the Prothean Beacon was destroyed...something was shown to both myself and Commander Jane Shepard.” He turned and waved at Shepard to accompany him on the dais. 

Udina narrowed his eyes, distrust evident while Nihlus opened his mandibles in surprise. Anderson gave her a hard look, but nodded when she raised her eyebrows. He trusted her. She stepped up aside Saren.

Together, the two of them recounted their visions, which shared a striking similarity - at least the parts they spoke of. They told of the mysterious Ship appearing, heralding a wave of death and destruction against organics, leading machines - Geth, Saren assumed - to exterminate all sentient life. Saren said nothing of the first part of the vision, so Shepard didn’t either. She still wasn’t sure if he had also seen  **exactly** what she saw.

At first Councilor Naso’shimas scoffed, interrupting them, saying they should only reserve judgment based on facts and evidence, not wild imaginings between two, potentially, traumatized operatives. Sparatus shot back that he trusted Saren’s judgments fully. Saren nodded a thanks to the Councilor and pulled up the text file conversation Shepard and he had had, minutes prior. He pointed to it, claiming that they didn’t discuss the vision at all prior to the meeting. The fact that their recounting was virtually identical should be adequate proof that it meant  **something** .

The Councilors grew quiet, thinking. Shepard glanced at Saren again, next to her, who gave her a reassuring nod.  _ Lucky break, Saren. Or convenient evidence? _ She looked up at the text conversation again and narrowed her eyes. She froze, realization hitting her like a cruiser. 

The conversation had been edited! Gone were her brief reservations of bringing up the visions and Saren’s insistence that they talk about it. She looked at Saren, eyes wide.  _ How did you manage to edit it that fast? Did you...did you play me, Arterius? _

She saw that none of what she said was changed, only deleted. The same was true for Saren’s side in the conversation. What Anderson told her resonated with her.  _ ‘Knows when to bend the rules.’ Damn right, I suppose. _ She tamed her facial expressions, showing a mask of practiced soldier’s impassivity. 

_ Should I be worried about it? _ In the grand scheme of things, she admitted, this  **was** a small infraction.  _ But he still manipulated what I said, on public record! _

She was drawn from her reverie, undecided, as finally, the Councilors spoke again. 

“As much as it pains me to say,” Naso’shima looked ill, hunching over, “It is irrefutable. A faction of Geth have indeed spearheaded an attack against the colony of Eden Prime. Based on the evidence, it appears that they were after the Prothean Beacon. They may have gotten to it, gained something from it, and intended no one do the same, as proved by the large-yield explosives set up around the dig site.”

“Indeed.” Valern mused. “It most likely is connected with this vision Spectre Arterius and Commander Shepard saw. The Ship that was prevalent in their vision appears to be the same Ship that partook in this attack. It seems, if Councilor Naso’shimas’ assumptions are correct, the Geth plan failed - partially, at least. We need to uncover the connection between this rogue Geth faction and the Ship, as well as how these visions play into it - if at all.”

Tevos spoke again, following the line of thinking of the three Councilors. “We should reach out to the Geth Consensus. I would like to believe that if they had any inklings of a possible attack by rogue Geth factions, they would have warned us. They may not be able to give us much, but they still may prove to be a valuable source of information.” She nodded at Naso’shimas.  _ Ever the diplomat, Tevos. What's in it for you and the Asari? _

Even to Shepard, the Asari Councilor’s penchant for ‘team-work’ was well known. 

“I agree with the Council’s assessment. However, we have one more question that must be answered.” Sparatus spoke again, his voice unwavering, confident. “A rogue Geth faction, one aided by an unknown and powerful Ship, seeking out Prothean artifacts, is a risk we must mitigate immediately. This will be a difficult task. Who will lead these efforts?” He pointedly looked at the two Turian Spectres, then back to Shepard. 

He continued. “A request for candidacy to the Spectres has been received and reviewed by this Council. Commander Jane Shepard, your name has been put forward by esteemed individuals in the Alliance, as well as Spectre’s Arterius and Kryik. Their initial evaluation has spoken of your tremendous skill at length. They recommend full continuation of your candidacy.”

The Councilors looked at one another, then they all pulled up their Omni-tool simultaneously and began tapping at the devices. Sparatus spoke again a few minutes later. “It is the Council’s opinion that humanity is ready to move forward to the next stage of interstellar participation. The Council has voted to continue this candidacy, offering you a limited agency amongst the Spectres. Commander Shepard, are you of the opinion that you can perform admirably and help these two esteemed Spectres complete this mission?”

At another small gesture from Anderson, Shepard stepped forward and bowed her head. “I would be honored to be given the chance to prove myself and all of humanity, Councilor.”  _ Is that good enough diplomacy for you, Udina? _

The Councilors nodded one by one. Sparatus again spoke for the Councilors. “So it shall be. Commander Shepard, as a limited Spectre, you will be given access to some of the material and equipment that full Spectres gain access to, but you will not be privy to the same authority nor information privileges. Therefore, Spectre’s Arterius and Kryik will be accompanying you.”

Her stomach performed a full acrobatic routine. She felt dozens of pairs of eyes on her. She could feel the weight of the decision settling on her shoulders.  _ Just like N7 graduation. Except, with more attractive Turians. _

“They will assist you, if and when you need it. Otherwise, they will leave the operational leadership of the mission to you, unless they feel you lack said capacity. They will be evaluating you and sending back constant reports to this Council. They will ensure the delicate nature of this mission is treated with the respect and care it deserves. Once the mission is complete, a final evaluation report shall be given to this Council and a decision will be made whether to offer you the full rank of Spectre. Is this understood, Commander Shepard?”

“Yes, Councilor.” A thought occurred to her.  _ He said  _ **_I_ ** _ would have op. lead? _ “What about Captain Anderson? Will we no longer be aboard the Normandy?”

“Actually,” Udina slid forward, a smug look on his face. Behind, Anderson stood with a masked face, not betraying any emotion. “You will be taking the SSV Normandy; it’s been reassigned to this joint mission. You will be taking full command of it. Congratulations, Commander Shepard.” 

Shepard felt like she’d just been hit in the gut. The excitement at the new prospect turned quickly to discomfort. She looked at Anderson and, to his credit, he still showed no emotion; he was taking his side-lining gracefully. 

“Thank you, Ambassador.” Shepard bit the formality out. Udina bowed his head, saintly while Anderson closed his eyes momentarily. He quickly returned to rapt attention at the preceding. He was putting on a brave face for her and she loved him for it.

Councilor Tevos continued. “Councilor Naso’shimas will send out a formal inquiry to the Geth Consensus, requesting any information they can offer in finding out more about this rogue Geth faction. Any correspondence the Councilor receives relating to this mission will be forwarded to you. In the meantime, there are two leads we suggest starting with.”

Shepard nodded. “Any help would be appreciated, Councilors.”

Valern spoke up again. “First, while you are here on the Citadel, I would recommend visiting RAID, the Robotic Advancements and Intelligence Department. We have begun funding them and the operatives there may be able to offer more insight into how a faction of Geth turned rogue, or they may even be able to give possible explanations as to why.” 

“The second lead would be on Therum, in the Knossos system.” Tevos paused, noticing the confused glances from all present. Even the other Councilors seemed puzzled by the suggestion. She continued. “The thought occurred to me when the visions from the Prothean Beacon were explained. There is a young prodigy studying Prothean artifacts on Therum; she is the most well-versed, knowledgeable Prothean-expert I’m aware of. She may be able to help piece together these visions, as well as how and why they were given. If no discernable link can be found between them and the Prothean Beacon, it may come to light that they are a trap, planted by the rogue Geth. If anyone can determine this, she can.”

Shepard nodded, but before she could say anything, Saren moved up next to Shepard. 

“That sounds like a good idea, Councilor. We appreciate the suggestions. Go ahead and send the files our way and we’ll review them with Shepard.” He backed away, continuing, “Now, with all due respect, I think we’ve spent enough time debating. We have a lot of work to do.” Without waiting, Saren gave a quick bow, barely respectful, and turned on his heel. A moment later, Nihlus stepped up beside Shepard. 

He gave a more pronounced bow to the Councilors, “Apologies, we just spent the majority of this last week not doing anything. We’re afraid we find ourselves quite bored. Thank you for your council, Councilors.” He turned and followed Saren out. Shepard fought back a snort of amusement. She couldn’t blame the Spectres for their impatience. 

The room was silent as Udina sputtered, offended at the quick exit of the Spectres, his perfect diplomacy in shambles. Anderson just rolled his eyes and waited to be dismissed. Shepard, unsure of what to do, quickly made a decision. She turned to the Councilors. 

“Well, Councilors, once again I appreciate your faith in me and the suggestions of where to start.” She looked back at Anderson, then again to the Councilors. They looked surprised that she was still in front of them. “If you will excuse me, I must undertake my...mission.” She bowed slightly, saluted Anderson, and walked out. 

_ Being a Spectre is going to take some getting used. _ Did she need to bow and salute? She had no clue. This wasn’t remotely similar to N-course training. She shook her head and piled into the elevator leading out of the Council Tower.

Halfway down, her comm crackled, and Captain Anderson’s voice broke into her ear. “Shepard?”

“Here, sir.”

“Well, that went about as well as we could have hoped.”

“Really, sir? You got side-lined! The Normandy was taken from you!”

Another, more annoying voice broke in. Udina. “Side-lined? Taken? Well, yes, technically, but Anderson eventually agreed it was for the best. Mixing him and Saren was a poor choice; they have too much history. The mission is delicate enough as it is. We shouldn’t be adding destabilizing elements without regard to their potential outcome -.”

“Besides,” Anderson cut in, “You need your own ship if you’re going to be a Spectre. You answer only to the Council, as long as this mission is green. The Normandy is perfect for an op like this; she’s quick, quiet, and has a good crew.

“More than that, the Normandy isn’t  **just** an Alliance frigate; it's a symbol of unity. Proof that Turians and Humans can cooperate and accomplish something great, together.” 

“Yes, sir!” She still felt horrible taking Anderson’s command, but his insistence helped. “If I can ask, sir, what will the Brass have you do now?”

“I can’t say much, but suffice to say, I’ll be working more closely with Lieutenant Alenko and Gunnery Chief Williams. See what we can find out about the leak on Eden Prime. I have some thoughts on who it may be, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Understood, sir.”

“One more thing, Shepard.” Anderson sighed, heavily, finally sounding his age. “This reassignment of you and I and the Normandy is effective immediately. I’ll be heading to the docks right away to gather my things. Do what you need to do here on the Citadel, then get out there. You don’t need to wait on me or anyone else now. You’ve been given your mission; it’s  **yours** now. Understood?” 

“Yes, sir.” Before Shepard, the doors opened, leading out into the Presidium.

“Remember, Shepard, your actions reflect on humanity as a whole, now.” Udina piped up, just as Shepard made to kill the connection. “You make a mistake, and I’ll get stuck cleaning it up.”

“I’ll try not to make things any harder for you, Ambassador.” Shepard stepped out, looking for the Spectres.  _ No sign of them, of course. _

“Good to hear, Shepard. You were a human first, long before you were a candidate for the Spectres. Remember that.” The comm connection dropped, hissing as Udina was desperate to get the last word in. 

Shepard rolled her eyes and looked around.  _ Now where the hell did those damn Turians get to? _

* * *

After exiting the Council Tower, she hadn’t had to wait long to hear from the Turians. They sent a text file, telling her they were going to find some old friends and that she should follow the lead at RAID, giving her coordinates for several square blocks to start her search. They said they would meet her at Chora’s Den when she was done.

Over two hours later, after wandering up and down small twisting streets and avoiding the plethora of gangs, here she was, looking at a small, squashed building, tucked between two large shops, the broken neon sign above the door read Robotic Advancement and Intelligence Department. Shepard approached, tired, and even more anxious for a free few hours and a club where she could relax. She raised her hand to knock, but the door slid open automatically, rusty. 

Shepard, alert, listened for a moment, then drew her pistol. She glanced back down the street; there were a handful of people, many slumped against the wall or crowded together. None looked at her. She snatched her helmet and donned it, pinging her Omni-tool to bring up the radar. As long as it wasn’t jammed, it would detect any hot weapons, ready to fire. 

She stepped into the dark interior, closing the door behind her. Her helmet filtered to infrared and she saw the room was small, a counter in the back left corner, with a closed door behind it. There was another closed door in the back right corner, and arranged haphazardly across the room were a variety of tables and desks. Datapads were spread across them along with various small electronic devices. She couldn’t tell what any were at just a glance. Underneath the door in the back right, a tiny sliver of light could be seen and Shepard’s HUD picked up faint, measured auditory cues.

She danced through the room, careful not to make any noise. As she got closer, the auditory cues became more clear. Metal smacking flesh. A measured beating. She remembered the horrors the Geth had inflicted on Eden Prime and her mind rushed to the worst assumption. She hurried to the door, her Omni-tool pinged. It was locked, but the run of the mill software loaded into her Omni-tool should be enough to crack it. 

She waited a moment, checking her pistol. She took a deep breath, switched her helmet back to normal vision, and then the door opened. Light spilled into the dark room, but Shepard stood to the side of the door out of view. She spun in, raising her pistol, mouth open to shout. 

She was greeted with a sight she didn’t expect.

A young Quarian woman lay naked on a table, looking upside-down towards the open door, surprised. She was perfectly shaped, lavender-colored skin accented perfectly by the yellow-trimmed hood hanging around her dark hair. Two bright violet jewels for eyes studded her smooth, pristine face. Beyond, her three-fingered hands, delicate, cupped small, perky breasts, shoving them together. The nipples, like a second set of indigo eyes, drilled Shepard as soon as she came into the room. Further down, Shepard’s eyes were drawn to an enticing flurry of steady movement. Past the perfectly toned waist, the Quarian’s hips were rocked by measured thrusts of a metal body - a slate grey Geth. The shaft of a jet black Geth-cock was visible for only moments at a time, as it disappeared, deep into the quivering, wet, dark of between the Quarian’s thighs. 

As Shepard stood, awed at the primal, beautiful sight, the Quarian teased past her grunts of pleasure. “Are you. Going. To join. Us?” She smiled at Shepard, still upside down and suddenly blinked her eyes rapidly, mouth opening in a delighted moan. The Quarian reached out, placing steadying hands on the metal thighs, clutching them, as it continued to fuck her, relentless. Her thighs shook and she wrapped them around the waist of the Geth, holding it close, allowing it more purchase. 

Jane hesitated, but kept her eyes on the pair. As she stepped further into the room, she started recording on her helmet. She didn’t want to miss anything. 

The Quarian spoke again, quickly, ushered by the intensity of pleasure. “Fuck… Keep doing that. Just like that.” Her voice had a strange accent, alluring and smooth. Exotic. She had dark ridges, slanting across her forehead that seemed to act as eyebrows, wriggling with nearly uncontained ecstasy.

Jane circled the pair. From the side, she could see that the Quarian had a perfect hourglass figure, evident even when flat on her back. When the Geth slammed into her, Jane saw her thick thighs rock back and forth. Jane judged by the angle the Quarian lay at, her ass must have been stunning for such a slight build. Between trembling thighs, Jane spied the Geth-cock, shimmering and ribbed, pushing its way into the stretching pussy. The Quarian moaned again, even louder.

“Keelah...harder.” She raised herself to her elbows, clutching one hand to her breasts, squeezing and playing with her dark indigo nipples. The other hand steadied herself against the Geth chassis, right where the heart would be on a human. The Geth complied, and between the space of two thrusts of its Geth-cock, it shifted its arms from the small of the Quarians waist to her shoulders, clamping behind her neck. It bent its knees slightly, gaining a better position and began rocking up into the Quarian, spearing her down to the base of its shaft, the full length eliciting even more gasps of pleasure.

Jane swallowed and continued walking, eyes on the rough fuck happening before her, committing everything to memory. The smell of the Quarians sex was sweeter than a human’s, it pervaded her helmet, filling her with lust. It was like a drug, making her light-headed. She felt, below, between her own thighs, a warm urge rear its head. 

She continued around, circling the lovers. The sound struck her to the bone; the unyielding grey metal on the supple, lavender skin was like a hammer on an anvil. They forged a rough, pounding rhythm of raw sex, almost managing to pin Jane to where she stood, commanding her to strip and relieve her own tension. The Quarian’s grunts, punctuating the steady beat of sex, pushed Jane on, her pleasure acting as fuel. 

Finally, she completed her circle, inspecting every inch of them, eyes never leaving the pair. When she found herself where she started, the Quarian moaned one last time, eyes closing and arms falling away to her side. The orgasm, so intense, knocked her limp in the strong metal arms. From over her shoulder, Jane saw her come, squirting her juices all over the ribbed Geth-cock. 

Obediently, the Geth slowed its thrusts, tapering down into a soft, sensual motion, eventually coming to a stop and setting the Quarian down onto the table, the latter breathing heavily, the former just standing there, silent. Suddenly it shifted its head, light bright in the center, towards Jane. 

“Would you like to join us?” Its voice was modulated, clearly synthesized, and tinny. Jane, suddenly off-put, took a step back. 

“Keelah. If she wanted to join, she would have.” The Quarian struggled to her elbows, flipping and turning so she faced Jane. “Though she did watch us for a while...” She grinned, excited. Jane’s eyes flickered between the nude Quarian and the still-cocked Geth, its member dripping with evidence of their lust.  _ I did...do I want to join them? Should I? That was...incredible.  _

Something tugged at the back of her mind. She was on a mission, her first official one as a candidate for the Spectres. She couldn’t afford to fuck it up. Even if that meant getting naked with the attractive Quarian and the...big Geth. Jane stayed where she was and opted to just watch silently.

“Maybe she’s shy?” The Quarian giggled, then shot to her feet, swinging off the desk. She made for a pile of yellow and purple clothing in a corner. Jane watched her move, eyes following her swaying, shapely ass.  _ Yeah.  _ **_Hell_ ** _ of a figure indeed. _

“I do not believe this one wishes to join us, Tali’zorah-Creator. I will commence clean-up procedures.” The Geth switched its focus to the table, slick with wet and sex. Jane noticed datapads and loose electronic components littered the ground around the table.  _ They gave themselves to a sudden passion, it looks like. _

“So,” the Quarian, Tali’zorah turned back, slithering into a form-fitting outfit, tight and obviously Quarian, though there was a distinct human-style influence around the cuffs. Shepard watched her pull it on, struggling slightly around the back, before she managed to cover herself. The hood she wore was intricate, with a multitude of fabric woven together. She raised it, covering her dark, shoulder-length hair, then turned to Shepard.

“Who are you?” She sauntered forward, jewel-like eyes never leaving Shepard’s, trying to take a peek through her helmet. She stopped at another small desk and planted herself against it, leaning nonchalantly. “You know my name, my friend here doesn’t have a name, so your name is all that’s left - then we’ll all know everything about each other!”

_ She’s...playful. _ Shepard slowly raised a hand, removing her own helmet and placing it back on her belt. “Will we?” She gave the Quarian her best coy smirk.

“Well you  **did** just see us fucking. Really, you did more than that. It’s like you were studying us.” She smirked back and her Omni-tool flared up. “And recording?” She faked a look of surprise, but Shepard could tell she had a streak of voyeurism. 

Shepard shrugged. “It’s how I join in with strangers.” She moved forward and stood in front of the Quarian. “Also, I’m working.” She tapped the N7 crest on her right breast, then held out her hand. “The name’s Commander Jane Shepard. Pleasure to...meet you, Tali-zorah.”

“Please. Only he calls me by my full name. You can call me Tali.” The two shook hands and Shepard was surprised at the hidden strength in Tali’s otherwise delicately-looking hand. She felt a resolve in the young Quarian.

“Speaking of -,” Shepard hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “Don’t partnered Geth usually get a name?”

Tali shrugged this time. “Yeah, but he’s...weird.” Shepard raised her eyebrow, waiting for clarification. “You see, Geth platforms, which can house anywhere from dozens to millions of Geth, are all networked together. That network of Geth forms the Consensus, right? Well, he...isn’t linked with the rest of the Geth.”

The two turned to watch the Geth clean the room. It paused and looked at them, twitching its head for a moment, then turned back to its self-imposed task. “Why isn’t it linked?”

“He.”

“Sorry?”

Tali sighed. “Sorry, habit. I know for some who aren’t used to dealing with Geth, it can be strange. It’s easy to see Geth as just ‘it’ or ‘thing’, but they are a lot like us. The Consensus I mentioned? It is also split and divided into thousands and thousands of different factions and groups, mostly controlling platforms together. It’s not uncommon nowadays for Geth, especially ones that spend a lot of time with us organics, to choose a pronoun or even a name they wish to be identified with.” She looked wistfully at the Geth, love, and care evident in her eyes.  _ Okay, maybe not a strictly parent-child metaphor. _

“I’m sorry. Like you said, I’m not used to dealing with Geth in this capacity.” Shepard gave a smile, hoping to smooth things over with the spunky Quarian.

“Oh, no worries!” Tali smiled at her, not offended in the least. “To be fair, most Geth don’t care at all about how they are perceived by organics.”

Shepard looked thoughtfully at the Geth, who finished cleaning up and now moved towards the pair. It stopped and held out a hand, approximating a human handshake. 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Shepard-Commander.” They shook hands, Shepard marveling at the evident strength of the Geth platform. 

“Pleasure’s all mine.” She glanced at Tali. “Well, not  **all** . Anyway, Tali was just about to tell me why you aren’t linked to the Consensus.”

“We are an experiment.” The Geth spoke matter of factly.

“You and Tali?” Shepard looked between the two, confused. Was the Consensus trying to see if a Geth and Quarian could have a romantic relationship, as well as a sexual one? It seemed pretty obvious they could, to Shepard at least.

“No. We are the experiment.” The Geth tapped himself on the chest, mirroring Shepard’s movement from a moment before. “Tali’zorah-Creator is assisting the Consensus. The goal is to determine the effects of prolonged autonomous operation, outside the network of the Consensus.”

Tali clarified. “Remember I mentioned Geth platforms? His type usually only has about a hundred Geth inside, controlling the platform. The platforms are still networked into the Consensus and as such can ‘share’ their processing power, even across the galaxy.”

“Right, like a hivemind.” Shepard had heard the comparison before.

“Actually, no. Not really.” Tali beamed up at her friend. “Geth don’t share sensory data. If he was still connected to the Consensus, they wouldn’t be able to see or hear us right now. When you touch one platform, they won't all feel it. At least not in real-time. A Geth platform could record and measure the data and send that to the Consensus. In fact that’s what they do, mostly.”

The Geth continued. “Affirmative. Most Geth platforms like this unit contain similar intelligence to what you organics call ‘animal instincts’. We are different because we have been disconnected from the Consensus and we have a total one thousand, one hundred and eighty-three Geth controlling this platform. Exactly thirteen times the amount normally seen in a unit such as this.”

Tali continued to beam, looking excitedly from Shepard to her friend. Shepard felt slightly lost, like she was missing something. “Interesting. Well, I look forward to the results.” 

Shepard looked around the lab, hoping her feigned interest was acceptable.  _ Now’s as good a time as any to do what I came to do, I suppose.  _ She moved on. “I actually came here with some questions; RAID was referred to me, by Councilor Valern, as part of my mission.”

Tali pushed away from the desk, curiosity lining her face. ”Councilor Valern? Why? It’s not about the funding right?” Her face became more confused as she registered Shepard’s last statement. “Wait, ‘your mission’?”

_ This is going to be...tricky. And, sorry Tali, but I don’t particularly trust your friend yet. _ Shepard extradited herself from between the two and faced them. “Have either of you two ever heard of rogue Geth? Or Geth platforms  **not** under the control of the Consensus?” She kept an eye on the pair, specifically Geth platform, before her.

Tali shook her head, confused. “No. Since their creation, the Geth have been unanimous in all of their decisions. We’ve actually been quite fortunate. Who knows what would happen if they splintered and disagreed as much as the rest of the galaxy did.” 

“If Geth were to become ‘rogue’, in the sense that they go against the decisions of the Consensus without first opening a dialogue, they would be ostracized. If Geth were to disagree with the decision of the Consensus, and were to petition their case, however, there would be no reason they wouldn’t be allowed to leave peacefully. Their link would be severed, in any case, much like we were for the purpose of our experiment.” The Geth spoke, moving forward a step. “We have never heard of either of these events occurring and we doubt that it would happen. If it did, the Creators and - by extension - the rest of the galaxy would be made aware.”

Tali finished, “Besides, Geth platforms have built-in fail-safes that don’t allow outside control from non-Geth sources.”

Shepard nodded.  _ Thought so. I just had to ask. _ “Well, you two may want to sit down for this. What I’m about to show you is highly classified and incredibly...disturbing. It’s important that if you can offer insights, any at all, for what you’re about to see, you do so.” 

The pair looked at each other, sufficiently confused. “What are you talking about, Commander?” Tali’s face showed genuine concern. 

Shepard showed them Eden-prime. 

* * *

While they reviewed the footage, Shepard kept her eye on the Geth and a hand near her pistol, just in case it decided what the other Geth did looked like a fun time. Thankfully, it wasn’t necessary.

The Geth, in fact, looked like he was taking the footage harder than Tali. Tali looked ill, similar to the Quarian Councilor, but Shepard got the sense it was more to do with the viscera than the fact that it was perpetrated by Geth. Her friend, though...he would pause the video, at moments when all that was visible was a Geth platform, and cock his head as if he was looking for something. Shepard wasn’t sure, but he looked distressed at the sight of the Geth acting as monsters, like a child disbelieving that his brothers and sisters would be so cruel. 

When the footage finished, the Geth whipped to Shepard. “We have reached consensus. This footage was not fabricated or altered in any way meaningful to the validity of what it means.” If a Geth could be shocked, Shepard believed she saw it now. 

Tali said nothing, but just stared at the ominous final image of a Geth crushing the discarded helmet of Jenkins. 

“And what does it mean?” Shepard asked softly. She felt...guilty. She almost regretted showing this Geth what others of his kind were capable of.

“We...do not know. We must reach consensus.” The Geth sat still for a moment. “We have reached consensus.”

Shepard raised her eyebrows.  _ That was fast. _

The Geth reversed the footage, showing a quick flash of a Geth that Shepard had killed in the first ambush. The image zoomed in and focused on a portion of the platform's arm, seconds before its head was splintered by Shepards shot. “This platform is recognized from available Consensus files. It was last seen operated by ninety-nine Geth programs, which were suddenly disconnected from the Consensus twenty-nine weeks, five days, fourteen hours, and two minutes ago. The sudden disconnection was believed to be the cause of forced deactivation.”

“You mean, death?” Shepard scooted forward. Now they were getting somewhere. 

“Affirmative. Forced deactivation such as this was extremely common during the Morning War and our early days of galactic exploration. It is not uncommon for Geth platforms who face sudden ‘death’ to be unable to transmit their Geth programs back to the Consensus, leading to the true death of those programs. Adequate time is not given in these situations to transmit back to the Consensus.”

“So where did this forced deactivation happen? Is there anything in your files about what caused it?”

“Affirmative. When these files were transmitted during the scheduled bi-hourly upload, the following location was given.” A string of numbers populated from the Geth’s Omni-tool. “Translated; Attican Beta, Theseus System, the second planet from the local star.”

Shepard pulled up her Omni-tool. “Feros. ExoGeni’s pilot colony...on a planet covered in ancient Prothean architecture.” She sighed. “Well, shit.” She turned away and opened her comm to the frequency shared between her and the Turians. 

The Geth spoke again, however. “There is more we have uncovered, Shepard-Commander.” She turned back to see him manipulate the footage again, to the Ship. “An unknown vessel with an observable similarity to this vessel was spotted by Geth in the same local cluster as the forced deactivation of the aforementioned platform.”

Shepard walked forward, stomach flipping. “When?”

“Twenty-nine weeks, six days, three hours and forty-one minutes ago.”

Her stomach slammed to a stop, mid-flip. “How observably similar?”

“Ninety-eight point five-four-one percent.”

“Well,  **shit** .”

* * *

Shepard left RAID a few minutes later, calling the Turians on her comm. She walked quickly down the street, back the way she came, waiting for them to pick up. It was later in the day and she knew how dangerous areas like this got at night. She kept an eye out for any punks who thought they were lucky. 

Tali and her Geth friend were unable to offer any more answers to her questions, but she knew she was on the right track.  _ Feros, huh?  _ A quick search on her Omni-tool revealed that its monthly schedules check-ins were becoming rarer, with an almost six-month timetable showing the change. Right on target with the spotting of the Ship by the Geth. 

She had asked the Geth if he knew why the Geth had been there and how large a force they were. He said that the Consensus had been reached out to by ExoGeni for help in an experiment but only a few dozen Geth platforms were sent. They all faced a forced deactivation, all within one minute of each other. When the Consensus had asked ExoGeni, they reported that pirates attacked and the Geth gave their lives to repel them. 

When Shepard asked about other similar situations to what happened on Feros, the Geth claimed that there were no more similar files that he could find. He did tell her that when he exited the Consensus, twenty-five weeks ago, he became unable to access any new files submitted across the network. It was possible that the situation that occurred on Feros had occurred in other places as well and had been filed, but he was not made aware.

Shepard had made her exit shortly afterward, thanking them for their time and apologizing for interrupting. Tali, of course, had said it had been fine and she gave her contact details, ‘in case you have some more... **questions** ’, she had said, winking those devilish eyes. 

_ I swear, stick a moderately well-shaped alien in front of me with some interesting eyes and I get all weak in the knees. _ Shepard would have been disappointed in herself if she wasn’t also so turned on by the prospect of fucking an alien. In any case, she had told the Quarian that she looked forward to working with her again someday, soon hopefully. 

Finally a familiar flanged purr came through the comm. “Jane.”

“Arterius. We on a first-name basis now, huh?” She could picture his mandibles opening in his Turian grin. She turned onto a side street, spotting a group of young hoodlums a few blocks up. 

“I could call you something else if you’d like? Ma’am?” In the background, muffled, she heard what sounded like a thumping beat, like what they played at the seedy clubs in the Wards.  _ Chora’s Den? _

“I’ll keep you posted on that one.” Shepard grinned, despite herself. Flirting with Saren was too easy and fun. She ignored the persistent thoughts reminding her of what Anderson said about Shanxi. “I’ve got a lead. Valern had a good hunch with sending me to RAID.”

“Ah, so you  **did** find it,” Nihlus spoke up now, shouting to be heard over the music. It was louder in his comm. 

“Yeah. It wasn’t too hard, once I ignored  **your** shitty directions.”

“Technically, Saren sent you the coordinates. He said something about ‘building character’?” Nihlus shot back. “Or was it, ‘getting her off our horns’? I don’t recall.”

Shepard snorted, “Oh trust me, boys. I haven’t even begun to get on your horns, yet.”

In unison, the two Spectres responded in a mocking, “Yes, ma’am!”

Shepard shook her head, taking a left down an empty ally to avoid another obvious gang ambush a couple streets up. 

“ **Anyway** , I’ve got our next stop. Feros.”

She began telling them she found out at RAID, but was interrupted by the sound of slapping feet behind her. She spun, mid-sentence, and pulled her pistol on the idiot who was trying to mug an N7. Her Omni-tool detected the rapid draw and began to cycle the start up on her shield. Without a helmet, she would need to be wary of any incoming headshots.

When she completed the spin, dropping to her knees, she paused. Tali and her Geth friend jogged up to her. They immediately stopped and raised their hands when they saw the pistol pointed directly at them. Tali was grinning, only slightly perturbed by the firearm pointed directly at her.

“Sorry, Commander! We didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Jane? You alright?” Saren sounded slightly worried. 

“Yeah.” She slapped the comm quickly. “Give me a second, I have a visitor.” She looked at the pair, confused, then added on, replacing her pistol to her hip. “No danger, repeat, no danger.”

“We wanted to catch up to you before you left! He wouldn’t stop talking about it and I think he’s right!” The young Quarian’s excited voice fired off, barely stopping to breathe. Her Geth friend shone his single light between the two, as excited as a Geth could be. 

“Wait, wait,  **wait** ! What are you talking about, Tali?”

“Shepard-Commander, we wish to accompany you.” The Geth spoke, his modulated voice measured, but she could tell he was excited by the idea. 

Shepard’s jaw dropped.  _ What? _

Before she could say anything, Tali rushed to defend the bizarre offer. “I mean, think about it. You’re hunting down rogue Geth, seemingly connected to a mysterious, powerful ship. Well, I’m the foremost, organic expert on the Geth and I know how to handle myself in a fight,” she turned, cocking out her hip which sported a shotgun, a Reegar Carbine. She gestured to her friend. “He’s...well he is invaluable. Since he’s experimental, he’s as intelligent as a full squad of Geth, can hack anything in the galaxy and he knows even more about Geth than I do.”

Shepard looked between the two for another moment.  _ This is unexpected. _ She looked at the Geth again.  _ Very unexpected. _

“Also, he goes where I go,” Tali said, softly, a determined look coloring her bright eyes.

Shepard was about to ask the Spectres what they thought, when an indignant thought stopped her. They’d gone off, on their own, meeting up with friends at some dive bar?  _ ‘A lot of work to do’, huh? _ Fuck that. She was Op. Lead; she’d make the decision on her own. They probably wanted her to prove that she could, anyway. She eyed the pair again.

They looked hopeful, eager. They hadn’t been following her long and the way she had taken to avoid the gangs hadn’t been observed by them as best she could tell. They were either smart enough to avoid the same threats she did and got lucky with finding her or they were able to track her. Either, was good; both, was even better. 

She held out her hand. “That an Ar-cee?”

Tali smirked and passed it over. “Yep. Auto, 2nd series. I’ve been working on some upgrades.”

Shepard inspected it, then gave it back, satisfied. It was in good shape for such an old series. She saw the modifications, but couldn’t tell what they did by just looking. She trusted the Quarian to know what she was doing though.

“Training?”

“Informal. My father taught me.”

“As long as you know which way the super-heated metal comes out, I can show you the rest.”

Tali grinned and re-holstered the shotgun with a flourish.

She finally appraised the Geth. “He goes where you go?” 

Tali hesitated, but spoke boldly. “Yes, he does. He’s my partner.”

Shepard made her decision.  _ They’re obviously resourceful, more firepower would be useful, and they definitely care for each other. That's the makings of a good squad if I’ve ever seen it. _

She smiled, but spoke in the comm. “Alright, boys. Playtime's over. We have some new team members you should meet and we have a lead to follow. How soon can you get back to the Normandy?” 

Beside her Tali and the Geth looked at each other, the former beaming as if she just won the lottery, the latter angled his head eagerly.

The Spectres were quiet for a moment, then Saren spoke, sounding slightly out of it. “Uh...an hour?”

_ Is he...tipsy? Fucking Spectres. They must not have expected me to get this far, this quickly, on my own.  _ She decided then and there that she would show them many more surprises during the mission - she liked the feeling. 

“Copy, see you then.” Shepard clicked the connection off and looked at the newest members of her crew. “Alright, pack your bags and head to Dock 422, near the C-sec Academy.”

Tali, jumped and let out a whoop. The Geth let out an electronic-sounding buzz, positively screaming with joy. 

“Two things, first,” Shepard spoke again, letting the Commander out a tiny bit. “One. You’ll be aboard the SSV Normandy, an Alliance vessel re-appropriated for a Spectre-sanctioned mission. This means you’ll need to get familiar with Alliance terms, routines, and - to some measure - disciplines. The frigate is small and every square meter is used to the utmost of its potential as are the crew. You’ll be expected to help out that crew with some of the duties required around the ship.” 

She waited for their understanding nod, the Geth following Tali’s lead. She continued. “Two. He needs a name. No way in hell am I going to be calling him just ‘him’ or ‘the Geth’ the entire mission. I don’t care if it's a codename, or what, just something to avoid the impending confusion.”

Tali furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her friend. Shepard waited a moment, interested to see what they chose.  _ If they’re even able to right now. I imagine choosing a name is a big deal for the Geth. _

Finally, the Geth looked at Shepard and stated matter-of-factly. “We are called Geth.”

Shepard sighed.  _ This is going to be an ordeal. So much for a few free hours at that club. _ She made her way back to the Normandy and her mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowee! Like I said, lots of dialogue and worldbuilding. I hope the exposition wasn't too much. I wanted a Chapter that really helped cement the characters of Shepard, Saren and Anderson as well as just how the main story diverts from the one shown in the game. 
> 
> In this medium, I have the ability to force Shepard and the Normandy down a single path, which allows for more clear foreshadowing and promises, rather than the sometimes vague happenings in an RPG. 
> 
> Hopefully y'all liked it! Let me know what you think!


	3. Ch. 3 - A Party for the 'End of the World'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and crew embark on the first step on their mission from the Council. The only question is, what should that first step be? Feros or Therum?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here we are, the third chapter. Believe it or not, I am trying to write these shorter, it's just hard sometimes because I have so much I want to write! I struggled with this one and restarted it a few times, eventually I cut out five pages and got it down to this length, which is, hopefully, more manageable.
> 
> I know the last two chapters have been a lot of talking and not much action (at least gun-oriented ;)), but I tell you what, the 'Party' mentioned in the Chapter title is coming, and it starts kicking off next chapter! I'm very excited to write it and have you all read it!
> 
> Final note, this chapter is one of the rare times that this version is the same as the one I post on FanFiction.net. The only difference is the formatting, so feel free to read this one wherever ya please! The content is the same for this chapter! Enjoy!

_“Listen up Normandy. We have our orders, straight from the Council. We were all there, at Eden Prime. We saw the destruction, the bodies. We all know what happened and, now, we have a chance to find out who did this and why. We have a chance to stop it from happening again!_

_“I won’t lie to you crew, this mission isn’t going to be easy. The ones responsible for Eden Prime are smart and brutal. Smart enough to expect us to come after them. Brutal enough to jump us the moment we least expect it. Thankfully, we’ve got help._

_“You may be wondering, why are there aliens on-board? Isn’t the Normandy an_ **_Alliance_ ** _ship? Isn’t Eden Prime an_ **_Alliance_ ** _colony? I say, the Normandy is no longer just a ship and it’s certainly no longer just ours! It was made with the sweat and effort of a mixed-species crew and it will be manned as such! It is a symbol, defiant against the false notion that humanity is on its own._

_“For too long, we’ve stood apart from the rest of the galaxy. It’s time to step up, to show what Humanity is made of, and to prove that we are in this together! This is not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel space!_

_“And Eden Prime? It's a symbol now, too. A symbol that rallies us against those who_ **_dare_ ** _sow discord and bloodshed amongst the species of the galaxy. We will_ **_find_ ** _those responsible, we will_ **_drag_ ** _them from the shadows and we will bring unto them the_ **_justice_ ** _they deserve!”_

\- Commander Jane Shepard’s speech to her crew, given before cast-off from the Citadel and commencement of their mission against the rogue Geth. Recorded and sent to the Citadel Archives for historic importance. 

* * *

Shepard sat on the edge of her bed, in the Captain’s quarters she had stolen from Anderson. Despite herself, guilt still gnawed at her, distracting her. They were scheduled to cast off from the Citadel in less than fifteen minutes and she still hadn't given Joker a destination. When she told him they were leaving immediately after her speech to the crew, he had asked for clarification and she didn’t have an answer. 

She felt odd, this command was different than any other she had ever taken. She was no stranger to leading and had long ago committed to memory the age-old adage ‘ten minutes of planning is worth an hour of action’. Somehow, now though, she felt caught off guard; on her back foot and her opponent was lining up a heavy right hook. 

_It isn’t_ **_just_ ** _the guilt at taking over command of the Normandy. There’s more to this._ She stood up and paced the length of the room, maybe five meters. She made it to the door and turned. She walked back and as she went, she thought through it all again. 

_This command feels different. Why? Because it_ **_is_ ** _different. Why?_ She rattled off the reasons with each step. 

_Anderson was right. Saren and Nihlus_ **_are_ ** _distracting. Purposefully or not, it's hard to think when they are in front of me. I’m a career Alliance officer - an N7 for god’s sake! I shouldn’t be as intoxicated as I am with those two._

_Speaking of intoxication - those assholes just fucked off and got drunk while I wandered over half the Wards on a thin lead! I don’t care to be put to work, but I_ **_do_ ** _expect to have my team backing me up. How can we be a cohesive unit when two of the members are eccentric Spectres who like to day-drink?_

She reached the bed again and spun around. She made for the door.

_The team! That's another issue right there. Tali and her Geth friend convinced me that they could help; they’re resourceful and are both quick studies. The Geth already has a full understanding of the Alliance routines and regulations I gave him. Tali has a penchant for drone-warfare and the crew is obsessed with her - Adams especially. Ignoring the powder keg of sex that she is and the fact that we are hunting Geth_ **_with_ ** _a Geth, they’ll both be key assets to the mission._

_But the fucking_ **_mercenaries_ ** _! Are you kidding me?_

She reached the door, spun around, and paced towards the bed. 

_Not only did those two spend their day at a club, they also hired a couple of mercs to tag along? Sure they_ **_claim_ ** _they worked with them extensively in the past, sure they_ **_claim_ ** _they trust them, sure they_ **_vouch_ ** _for them, but at the end of the day, they’re here because they are getting_ **_paid_ ** _to be here. The rest of us have a reason to be here - we’re invested._

_What did the Krogan say? ‘Danger with a high probability of killing those who get in our way? The former’s fun and the latter’s business.’ How can I expect my crew to go into battle with those two at their side? Mercs will do a lot for money, but die for someone else who isn’t paying the bill is not very high on the list._

She reached the door and sighed. She turned again and walked back to her bed, breathing slowly and deeply. She felt closer to figuring this out. 

_Maybe I’m misjudging them, just like the rest of the crew. I got little more than their names; I don’t_ **_really_ ** _know them. Saren and Nihlus trust the mercs, but do I trust Saren and Nihlus? Anderson always liked to say, ‘At some point, you just need to put your trust in your men.’ So, do I trust the Spectres?_

_C’mon Jane. Disregard their physical characteristics, just like you did when you brought on Tali and the Geth. What do you know about them? They both saved my ass on Eden Prime plenty of times. Nihlus is a good man. Honest and skilled and dependable. Saren...is less honest, yes, but incredibly talented. He gets results, but sometimes skirts the line to do it. Can I handle that?_

When she hit the bed, she had her answer. 

“Yes,” she whispered, standing still. “I can. I trust them. I need to.”

_What was the second part of that quote? ‘A good leader instills the_ **_right_ ** _reasons to trust his men.’ How can I expect the crew to trust each other_ **_and_ ** _the aliens if_ **_I_ ** _don’t even trust them? It starts with me. I’m the leader and if I put on a brave face like nothings changed, then so will they. It’s what Anderson would do. I owe it to him, the crew, and those poor souls on Eden Prime to pull this off._

_Trusting Saren and Nihlus means trusting the mercs, but I won't suffer any illusions that they are in this for the same reasons the rest of us are._

She turned away from the bed and began pacing again. 

_That just leaves the matter of the distracting, hot Turians. I’m not thinking clearly and I haven’t been for a few days. I could ask them for their opinion, but they already made it abundantly clear that I’m Op. Lead; it’s my decision on where we should go first. What kind of reputation would I be setting if I couldn’t even decide the_ **_direction_ ** _of the mission? That’s not what Spectres do. They chose me for a reason, so damn it, I need to act like it._

At the door, she felt herself at a crossroads. She closed her eyes. 

_Two choices. Feros and a direct clue to where some of the rogue Geth originated from_ . _Therum to pick up a Prothean expert to consult about the visions. One seems the obvious choice when looking at it from a purely objective standpoint, right? Feros puts us on the path to finding out more about the ‘how’ and ‘why’ the Geth attacked Eden Prime. Not to mention more information on that fucking nightmare Ship._

_But, subjectively, Therum feels like the right move. I feel it in my gut. I’ve been acting all sorts of fucked up since that Beacon shoved the vision in my brain; it’s forged a connection between me and Saren. That, coupled with my innate attraction to him and Nihlus, has my decision making on the fritz._

She snapped her eyes open. Like the final piece of the puzzle falling perfectly in place, the insistent fog she hadn’t even noticed wrapping around her mind was lifted. 

_I need to figure out what is going on with this vision before it gets me and the rest of my crew killed._

She glanced at the time; five minutes until cast off. Joker needed that destination. She waved the door open and jogged for the stairs at the other end of the mess hall. The few people off-duty and eating stared at her as she went by. She ignored them. She wrenched herself around the corner and bounded up the curved stairs.

She spilled into the open room of the Turian-style-inspired CIC. The galaxy map took up a large portion of the middle of the room, with crew stations surrounding it on the port and starboard sides. A curved pathway stretched around that, running the length of the mid-ship. The crew working the CIC all turned towards Shepard’s sudden appearance. She slowed herself and gave a lazy wave to get them focused back on their consoles. 

She followed the path across, toward the bridge. When she stepped into the neck, she saw that Saren, Nihlus, and the two mercenaries were standing between her and the bridge. She walked forward, not bothering to be stealthy. Halfway towards them, the mercenaries noticed her and turned, giving Shepard an appraising look. _The way they case me and their surroundings...checking for a weapon, registering possible exits. These guys sure know what they’re doing._

The Turian, male, on the right still wore his richly colored, royal-blue set of armor, military-inspired but lighter and more flexible, not unlike a set of C-Sec armor. His sniper, a Mantis, nestled on his back, folded up. _He’s got to be incredibly confident he can drop someone before they get close to him. I can get four shots off with my Avenger before he gets off one._

His face, younger than the Spectres, had markings as well; deep blue, accenting below his eyes and sprouting back from his mandibles. Over his left eye, his modified Kuwashii visor scrolled with a constant stream of data. He opened his mandibles in a brief, if somewhat polite smile. She liked him, even if it was painfully obvious he emulated a lot of the Turian Spectres’ mannerisms. 

To the left, the enormous Krogan lumbered, a daunting image in his blood-red armor. Bristling off his back and sides, like sharp teeth, several shotguns were holstered. His face was marred by four long and deep scars, starting in the middle of his plate, traveling between his right eye and snout, and traversing three-fourths of his throat. Another smaller scar was visible between his plate and his left eye-ridge, signifying his biotic amp. _I still can’t believe they brought a fucking Krogan Battlemaster merc on-board my ship._ The behemoth gave her another once over, drinking in her image. He gave a smirk and a nod at what he saw. 

“Shepard.” His deep voice rumbled across her, as she stepped closer. _You like what you see, big guy?_ She couldn’t suppress a smile at that and the ensuing recollection of her vision. 

“Wrex.” She returned his nod with her own, gazing at the old, dangerous eyes. She glanced at the Turian merc again, meeting his dark eyes, quick and youthful. “Vakarian.” She supposed that if she was going to trust them - even if only a little - it wouldn’t hurt to treat them with some respect.

Nihlus pushed forward, noticed the greetings. “Ah, Shepard. Nice of you to join us. It’s a Turian tradition to see the cast-off before a dangerous or important mission.” 

“Glad I made it.” She gave him a smile and slid through the crowded entrance to the bridge. Pressly, sitting in the navigator’s seat by Joker, looked absolutely concerned with the four aliens in close proximity. Joker seemed annoyed by the crowd, but she knew any species would elicit that reaction. Joker was adamant that the bridge was as good as his private quarters. She sidled up to Saren, planting herself directly behind the pilot's chair. “You should know by now, I’m a huge fan of tradition.”

Saren looked down at her, his blue eyes sparking. “Oh, really? Are there any human traditions you can show us?”

She smirked up at him, briefly, before turning back forward. “Joker. Get us out of here before I do something our friends will regret.”

“Aye aye, Ma’am.” Joker immediately began spinning up the engine. As an afterthought, he grinned and looked back, “Would **hate** to see you have to try and dance for their amusement.”

Wrex perked up at that. Shepard ignored the Krogan and gave a look of mock betrayal. “‘Try’?”

“Just trying to help you out, Commander.” The pilot turned back to his console with a shit-eating grin. “Remember last time you **tried** to dance?”

“Well, at least I didn’t break a leg.”

“Low blow, Commander!” Joker scoffed at that, “Low blow! Also, just looking at you made me **wish** my leg was broken. It would have been less painful.”

Shepard shook her head, admitting defeat. “Okay, point taken. No dancing today.” She stepped forward and leaned against the empty chair to Joker’s left. The bridge grew silent as Joker pulled the Normandy out of Dock 422, everyone watching the pilot expertly peel out of Citadel’s arms and streak towards the mountainous clouds of celestial gas. 

“Well done, Joker. You kept to tradition remarkably well.” Everyone turned in surprise to the young Turian mercenary. He opened his mandibles and held up his hands. “What?”

“Fucking Spectres and mercs on my ship, I swear. What’s next, a Geth and Quarian duo-love-thing?” Joker rolled his eyes. “Oh wait.”

Shepard suppressed a smile and put on her commander’s face. “Okay, gentleman, our destination is the Artemis Tau cluster; engage stealth as soon as we’re clear of the Mass Relay corridor, then plot a course to drop us in at the very edge of the Knossos system. From here on, we engage stealth as soon as we arrive anywhere, just to be safe.”

The two humans gave a chorus of acknowledgment and began tapping away at their consoles. Shepard turned fully to Saren, who was staring at her with an indiscernible gaze. 

“Ready to figure out what the hell happened to us with that Beacon?” she grinned, feeling like her old self again, suddenly. 

“Oh, you have no idea, Jane. No idea.” His blue eyes glimmered at her and she smiled back, momentary butterflies in her stomach. She banished them.

“Good, because **that** , is top priority. I don’t like anyone or anything messing with my head.” Shepard looked to the rest of the aliens. “It’ll take just under an hour to get us to the edge of the Knossos system, so I want us all in the Comm Room by then for the pre-mission brief.” 

She looked at Nihlus. “Nihlus, can you give Wrex and Vakarian a quick tour, show them where they can post up when they're not on mission, and which lockers they are free to use?”

The amicable Turian nodded and began moving immediately. Shepard turned to Saren. “Saren, I want to discuss the specifics of this vision again with you. If this Prothean expert can help in some way, I want to be extremely clear with each other and with her. I want us to be so on-the-same-page here, we’re the same goddamn word, clear?” He nodded, a look approximating pride edging in around his eyes. “Meet me in the Comm Room in five?”

“Sure thing, Jane.” His eyes twinkled again and he began moving away. 

“Can you let Tali and the Geth know that they’ll be expected at the briefing?” She called back after him.

He turned and walked backward, giving the laziest salute she’d ever seen and threw a wink, just for good measure. “Yes, ma’am!”

She rolled her eyes and looked back at the dwindling Citadel, fighting the significant urge in her stomach to chase him down and -. 

“That was weird.” Joker glanced up at her, then to Pressly. “Right, that was weird? I’m not the only one who thought - .”

“Joker.” Shepard pushed off the chair and started down the neck. 

“Huh?” He called after her. 

She tossed back, “Don’t make me send Vakarian up here to try his latest straight-man routine on you.” Thankfully, she was turned so he didn't see the bright red shade she turned.

He hollered back a sullen affirmation as she walked away.

_Now I just need to figure out how to talk about the vision, filled with naked aliens,_ **_with_ ** _the alien that I want to see naked. Shit._

* * *

Fortunately, for Shepard, she had decided the best way to prevent herself from easily taking her clothes off and throwing herself, naked, at Saren, as soon as they were alone in the Comm Room, was to don her heavy N7 armor. So she did. If Saren was disappointed that Shepard no longer wore thin, easily ripped away casual officer clothes, he didn’t show it. If anything, his blue eyes inspected her armor closely, almost as if he could see through it. 

_That’s a thought. A..._ **_stirring_ ** _thought._ It only became more intoxicating to contemplate when she realized he also had changed into his light grey Turian armor, which complemented his eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder why he thought he needed **his** armor for the meeting. 

The impromptu meeting with Saren went about as well as she hoped it would. They went over the latter part of the vision once more and again, they lined up almost perfectly. When Shepard casually mentioned how the Ship replaced the earlier parts of the vision, Saren seemed confused. She didn’t know if she should have been relieved or not; a certain part of her hoped that he too had seen an orgy of aliens and saw it again every time he saw her, just like she did when she looked at him. 

She banished the line of thinking as she quickly explained that she lay in a strange room with ornate furniture. She spun a lie about how it must have been a subconscious memory from her childhood and left it at that. 

Saren seemed like he wanted to continue talking about it, but at that point, Nihlus showed up. He correctly guessed they were discussing the vision and left them to it. Shepard decided then, as they still had half an hour before they arrived at the edge of the Knossos system, to go check up on Tali and the Geth, giving her a much-needed reprieve from the, at some points, oppressively attractive Turian, with his intriguing blue eyes. 

She felt those eyes watch her leave - straddling the line between a predator and lover. Sometimes, she didn’t know which they leaned towards, but she knew that before her Spectre candidacy was finished, she would find out. 

* * *

“One thousand, one hundred and eighty-three.”

“No, too long.”

“He.”

“Too short. Also, probably confusing.”

“One, one, eight, three.”

Behind Shepard, there was a momentary pause. “That...maybe. I still don’t like referring to you as just a number, though; you know you’re more than that!”

“We are Geth.” Shepard looked back and rolled her eyes. The Geth craned his head, inspecting Tali at his side. He swung his head towards Shepard, as if to ask ‘Are you hearing this?’

Shepard couldn’t stop her smirk, but continued her stride towards the Comm Room, rounding the corner to the CIC. A few minutes ago, Joker had announced over the comm their arrival at the edge of the Knossos system and the successful re-engagement of the Tantalus Drive. Just as when they exited the Mass Relay corridor, their stealth system was fully operational.

That was where the similarities stopped, however. As the trio made it the Comm Room, Joker’s voice sounded over the intercom.

“Uh, Commander. You’re not going to believe this.”

Shepard waved the Comm Room door open and stepped aside. Tali and the Geth continued in. She looked across the CIC and prepared to make a detour to the bridge. “Don’t tell me, some Geth forces are in-system?” 

“Some Geth forces are in-system! Wait, how did you know?”

“Lucky guess.” Shepard glanced in the Comm Room and saw everyone there, including the mercs. All but three of the chairs were being used; Wrex and Vakarian sat opposite Tali and the Geth. The young Quarian and Turian seemed to be amused by Joker’s outburst, but Saren, Nihlus, Wrex, and the Geth all looked stern. _They’ve got some game faces and can follow simple orders. That's good._ “What’s their location, numbers, and classification?” 

“Four ships… Classification unknown, all headed to - can you guess? Therum, of, fucking, course. I only recognized them because our new cyber-friends in the Consensus sent us a huge fucking file with the ‘few pieces of information’ they thought might be ‘tangentially helpful’. Like, seriously, the file was over two zettabytes. I had to upload it to half of our goddamn external servers and only -.”

“Send the report to my Omni. See what our long-range scanners can pick up on their movement. For now stick to the outer edge; the moment they turn to look at us, we’re out of here.” As an afterthought, she added on, “Forward an automatic update to the Council, Udina and Admiral Hackett. If these Geth are here for a repeat of Eden Prime, we need to get them mobilizing forces **now**.”

“But don’t you want to hear about -.”

“Joker.” Shepard chuckled, entered the Comm Room, and strode towards the chair between Saren and Nihlus. “You recognize them from the Consensus’ files. That means they are new and deadly and rogue Geth. That's all I need to know right now.” 

“Yeah but, **two** zettabytes!” Despite his exasperation, her Omni-tool pinged as it received the databurst. 

As she sat, Tali looked at the rest of the team. “So are we not going to introduce ourselves? I thought we’re supposed to be working together?” Everyone looked at the young Quarian, varying shades of nonplussed. Everyone, except Vakarian. 

“You know, that’s a wonderful idea...Tali’zorah, right?” He flashed a Turian grin. Wrex groaned.

“Tali, yes. I’ve met Saren and Nihlus, briefly, but who are you two?” She sounded innocent enough, but Shepard had a feeling that Tali had an ulterior motive, her jewel-like eyes flashed. _If she’s as sex-crazed as I’m thinking…_

Still, Nihlus rose to the bait. “Tali, let me, officially, introduce our mercenary friends. The handsome one is Wrex. He shoots things. The other one is Garrus Vakarian. He also shoots things, but from further away. We’ve worked together, extensively, in the past and they’ve never let us down. They’re the best mercs this side of Omega and they make one hell of a fireteam.”

Tali looked confusedly at the mercs, but again Shepard saw a borderline mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh, I assumed you two were Spectres like them?”

Wrex snorted, “Me, working for the Council? I’d rather shoot my own quad off.”

Garrus looked to his partner, spreading his mandibles. “I think **they’d** rather shoot your quads off then have you be a Spectre. Or any Krogan really.”

Wrex turned threateningly to the Turian while Tali giggled. Shepard met the Spectres’ eyes with a raised brow. She didn’t realize the young Turian merc had this much spunk.

Garrus raised his hands, but continued, “Also, technically we’re working for the Council right now. Just with some middle-men.” The Krogan growled but looked back to Tali. 

“He’s just jealous he hasn’t been asked to join the Spectres yet.”

“I have been asked, actually.” He looked suddenly flustered. “It… the timeline just didn’t work out for my career.” He left it at that and Tali gave a friendly smile.

“Well it is a pleasure to meet you two. I’m excited to work together.” She gave a cheeky grin and looked to Shepard. _Ah. I see. Well done, girl. I owe you one._ She gave the Quarian a sly wink of thanks.

Shepard stood and surveyed her motley team. “Okay. Now that introductions are out the way, let’s break the situation down. Our objective is Therum, the second planet from the star. Somewhere on this planet, a Prothean expert is conducting research on some ruins. She is vital to this mission, as she can provide valuable insight into the nature of the Beacon that gave Saren and myself some sort of vision.” 

She tossed a report to the screen from her Omni-tool. “Therum is lightly colonized, industrial, with plentiful heavy metals exported and disseminated throughout the Systems Alliance. There are hundreds of mining excavations around the planet, with only two dozen or so non-mining settlements scattered across the globe. Each of these settlements range from a couple hundred citizens to a couple thousand. Overall population is just over thirty-five thousand, the majority of which live here, in Nova Yekaterinburg.” 

As she spoke, images flashed on the screen, culminating in an aerial view of an industrial city, packed tightly between two mountains. 

“Two other things of note; there are several **thousand** volcanoes dotting the surface, over half of them are active year-round; the other half are dormant, but various scientific projections believe the total number of active volcanoes will increase by about one percent every decade or so until five hundred years from now, this world becomes essentially one, single, giant volcano.”

Again images associated her words, flashing across the screen; stretches of desolate charcoal-colored landscapes dotted with bright orange pools of bubbling magma and towering mountains with deep passes between them, marred with lava-falls. 

“The other thing, which ties together this beauty of a planet, are the hundreds of ruins, scattered across the planet. Many are so old and degraded, it’s still not confirmed they’re Prothean in origin, though the popular belief is that they are; that’s most likely why our Prothean expert is here in the first place.”

Wrex stood. “Shepard, I don’t need a history lesson on this shit planet. It’s hot, your expert is here, and we have rogue Geth ships roaming the system. That’s all I need to know.”

The room was silent for a moment as the suddenly aggressive Krogan stared down at the human half his size. Shepard heard Saren shuffle behind her, like he was about to stand as well. She stepped closer to the Krogan, half a meter away. _Is he serious? I could see hot-shot Vakarian pulling this macho-shit, but Wrex? I pegged him as smarter than this._

“Okay. Where is this expert then?” She raised her Omni-tool again and the screen changed to an interactive globe of Therum. “You’ve got the information you need - all of it. Where is she?”

Wrex was silent for a moment and got even closer to Shepard, his face inches from hers. Shepard’s hand slowly angled for her side, where her combat knife was tucked. _Fucking mercs! Don’t be an idiot, Wrex._

Wrex suddenly backed away and grinned. “You’ve got some spirit, Shepard. Most people are scared quadless when a Krogan gets in their face.” He turned back to his seat and plopped down, the chair creaking under his weight. “Don’t worry, I was only kicking the alpha varren. I wanted to see how you’d react and you didn’t disappoint. Besides, I didn’t get to this age by rushing in without a plan.”

Garrus shot out a quick, “He’s right. He's older than all of us combined.”

Shepard let go of the breath she was holding and forced a smile with the rest of the room. She moved her hand away from the knife and felt her stomach twist at the sudden deceleration of events, adrenaline pumping through her even though her brain recognized no danger. _Fucking_ **_mercs!_ **

“Anyway,” Shepard glanced around the room again, giving a stare to the Spectres that she hoped said ’this is on you’, “Since Wrex was nice enough to mention them; the rogue Geth,” She waved her Omni-tool and the screen changed to a grainy, shadowed picture of a strange ship, roughly insectoid in shape, like a bee or a wasp dipped in metal, with the wings torn off. “This type of ship, roughly a frigate-weight, is new but it is believed to be Geth in origin and make, albeit by the rogue factions that have somehow managed to split off from the main Consensus.”

At this point Tali nodded, glancing at her Omni-tool as she spoke. “They’re definitely Geth; they’re giving off the same type of basic, harmless radiation as all other known Geth platforms. We’ve never seen anything like them, but” she patted her partner's metal arm, “he’s taking a look at the scanners to see if there is anything else we can learn.”

The Geth spoke up, finally looking away from his Omni-tool. “We are still analyzing the files transmitted by the Consensus, but we have learned some things in regards to these ships. The Consensus first encountered these ships ten days, fourteen hours and twenty-nine minutes ago, in various systems of the Armstrong cluster. Similar to what happened at Feros, the Geth who transmitted these pictures to the Consensus suffered a sudden, forced deactivation.

“Very little is known about them, other than their physical dimensions. Each vessel is twelve-point-three repeating meters shorter than the Normandy and an average of twenty-four meters wider. Based on this information, we estimate a total of at least thirty-thousand, nine-hundred, and two Geth programs operating a single frigate. We have no conclusive data to determine how many, if any, platforms man each ship.”

Shepard nodded and continued to pace between the team. “Cases like what happened at Feros and in the Armstrong cluster already number in the hundreds, spanning the last few months, with the total number only increasing. We’re looking at a potential of thousands of rogue Geth, hiding throughout the galaxy. Fortunately, we don’t have to fight them all, at least not right now. Right now, we only need to get on Therum,” she changed the screen back to the globular image of Therum, “find this expert, and get the hell out of here. This is a stealth mission, through and through.”

Garrus bowed his head and spoke. Shepard saw his eyes glitter, like he was sizing up an opponent in a brawl. “What do we know about these ships? Where are they in-system? What kind of fire-power are we looking at here?”

The Geth responded immediately. “Fire-power: unknown, survivability: unknown, shield capacity: unknown. Four of these ships have been located in-system by the Normandy’s long-range scanner, each along varying approach angles to Therum. Based on their trajectories, we have reached consensus that they arrived from the other side of the system, opposite the Normandy’s current location. At their current speed, they will arrive at the planet in forty-nine minutes. Based on available data concerning their vectors and reasoning that they are using slower than FTL speeds, we have reached consensus that these ships do not have FTL capacity.”

“I’m not worried about them beating us to Therum, it’ll only take a handful of seconds to jump into the middle of the system,” Nihlus spoke up now, eying the interactive globe of their target planet. “And I think I may have narrowed down where the expert is.”

He stood and approached the screen, tapping on his Omni-tool. “So, according to Councilor Tevos’ report - which was annoyingly brief - we don’t have a face, name, or even species for this expert, just that she is an incredibly skilled archeologist and Prothean expert. She’s been on hundreds of digs, has anonymously published several papers, and, according to the file, she travels with the Asari-ran Delias Archeological Corp, exclusively. 

“At first, I assumed this expert would be either in Nova Yekaterinburg or an archeological dig somewhere close to a settlement. According to customs, an unknown representative of DAC, booked a tour and checked in a few weeks ago at the capital. Since then, no activity has caught my attention. Assuming this is our expert, she’s either left the city or she’s laying low. I’m leaning towards ‘left the city’. There’s nothing in the report that outright suggests she’s a target for one reason or another, besides the omission of her name, face, and species.

“Regardless, as Shepard mentioned, there are hundreds of potential areas of the planet she could be, so I ran a search for newly uncovered dig sites, and I found something interesting.” The globe spun and zoomed in on a large volcanic mountain with multiple tunnel networks branching from around the base, leading up and down. “Ikar Mining, since bankrupted by the resulting fees and tariffs, accidentally mined directly into an expansive ruin, about two months ago, near the base of the Mount Daedalus.

“I managed to get a signal, weak this far out. However, the fact that even out here I picked it up means it must be enormously strong; like a torch lighting a dark cavern. I ran some quick diagnostics and it shares dozens of similarities to the signal detected from the Beacon on Eden Prime. Something down there is giving off incredibly strong Prothean signals. The main contractor rumored to be leading the dig here at dig site ‘Icarus’, is none other than Delias Archeological.”

“Good work, Nihlus.” Shepard gave him an appreciative smile. “Ok so we have a likely location for our expert and -.”

Wrex snorted. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go get her!” His impatience felt real this time as he stood up and turned to the door. 

Shepard sighed, trying hard to be patient with the Krogan. “Because we don’t have a concrete plan to get in and out without being seen, yet. ‘Stealth mission’, remember?” 

Nihlus backed her up. “Besides, Wrex, we aren’t even **sure** that’s where the expert is. Once we get closer, I’ll -.”

“No need.” Wrex turned and moved past Shepard, to the screen. He zoomed out, until the planet was just a tiny ball. Converging on it, like the Geth said, four dots representing the rogue Geth frigates slowly blipped closer. Wrex manipulated his Omni-tool and the screen traced the likely routes of the ships. He grumbled, “See. I may be old and impatient, but I’m smart enough to do some simple extrapolations.”

There, on the screen, the four ships’ extrapolated routes converged on Therum, meeting together, and surrounded Mount Daedalus and dig site Icarus. 

_Well they’re either after this Prothean expert or whatever is giving off that Prothean signal. Or both._ Shepard gave a surprised grunt and opened her mouth to congratulate Wrex, but she was interrupted.

“What’s that?” Garrus, alarmed, pointed to the screen. Another dot rounded the other side of the star, coming into view for the first time. It rocketed towards the planet at break-neck speed, blowing past the rogue Geth frigates. 

The Geth before them responded immediately, the tiniest hint of anxiety present in his modulated voice. “That is another ship, unknown origin and classification. It is emitting similar radiation from its drive core to that of the rogue Geth ships already seen.” 

Tali cursed in Khelish as she looked down at her Omni-tool. “Boshtet’s big too; almost **800** meters - it’s easily cruiser-weight, Shepard! Four times as big as the smaller ships...looks like we know how they got into the system now.”

Just then, Joker called over the comms. “Holy shit! Commander you’re **not** going to guess what just came up on radar!”

Nihlus, uncharacteristically disquieted, barked out, “They’re emitting some crazy levels of energy.” He looked sharply at Shepard. “Similar make-up to the plasma discharges from the Geth weapons on Eden Prime. But much, much bigger.”

Shepard spun to the screen. “Joker! What's the word on the new contact!”

“We have a **new** contact - wait, how did you - aww nevermind! The big fuckers headed right for Nova Ketarinburg, ETA, five minutes, top!”

“Send another auto-up to Hackett and the Council! Code Kinetic!” She turned to the team. “Okay, we’re scrapping the stealth. We’re all that stands between Nova Ketarinburg and that Geth cruiser. We’re running interference until back-up arrives.”

Shepard turned and headed for the door, but only the Geth stood to follow. She narrowed her eyes and turned back. Everyone looked shocked. She realized then she made a mistake, unintentionally doing what Wrex had just pretended to do to her. Her stomach twisted in knots, and she felt like she was punched in the gut. Saren stood slowly and walked towards her. The rest of the group looked on sadly, realizing the hopelessness of the colony’s situation. 

Saren’s blue eyes were the dimmest she had yet seen them and a careful look covered his face. His mandibles parted slightly, but angled downwards, giving a distinct frowning gesture. “Jane,” he whispered to her. “I understand that this will be hard to hear, but you need to listen to me.”

Shepard swallowed hard. _Idiot. I’m still thinking like Alliance. I’m more than that now. My instincts nearly derailed the mission._

She looked up, steeling herself for what she knew had to be done. “Don’t bother, Arterius. I know what you’re going to say. Those people are dead already. We’d only last a few minutes against that cruiser and by the time any reinforcements arrived, the settlement will be leveled, the expert dead or captured and the Geth would gain whatever they’re looking for at the dig site.”

Saren had a look somewhere between pity, regret, and admiration. She hated it. Not even those eyes could distract her from their condemning of fifteen thousand souls. Nor from her call to do so. “Joker, belay the last. We proceed as planned.”

The enigmatic pilot hesitated but called an affirmative.

Shepard slid past Saren, back into the center of the room. She fixed the most impassive look she could on her face. “We’ve got some planning to do. Suggestions on getting in-system without tipping off the Geth?”

Wrex spoke first, still mildly impatient, but his voice was measured. He seemed to realize just how close they came to embarking on a suicide mission. “We could follow the path this new ship took. Jump to the other side of the star, then back in.”

The Geth responded, still standing. “Inadvisable. The likelihood of being spotted by the rogue frigates would be high, as they most likely came from that direction. We have reached consensus that the likelihood of failing in stealth operations at ninety-six point six-nine percent.”

“Not to mention our fuel reserves would be dangerously low. If we ended up being spotted we may be unable to make a hasty retreat.” Tali inspected her Omni-tool. “We can only afford two micro-jumps, **maybe** three.”

“What about the fifth planet?” Garrus stood and moved to the screen, manipulating it. It showed the gas giant, Archanes. “Looks like we’re at the perfect angle to jump behind it, out of view of the frigates and the cruiser. Then we move around it, come out the other way and jump back in.”

“Maybe. We’d use less of the available fuel since we’d only be jumping a little further than if we went straight to Therum from here.” Tali tapped on her Omni-tool. “Diagnostics look good.”

Nihlus nodded approvingly. “That could work. We’d come in right between Therum and the star, too. The frigates would be on the other side of the planet and all we have to do is fly in close, keep the stealth system up in the atmosphere and drop the Mako. We’d be in and out before the frigates even saw us.”

Saren spoke now, still by the door. “That just leaves the problem of the cruiser. We’ll be out of **its** sight for most of those maneuvers, but once we’re close enough to drop the Mako, it could see us.”

“That’s a positive, then,” Shepard mused. “If it sees us streaking for the volcano, it’ll be forced to split its attention between us and the colony. It’ll give them a fighting chance.”

“Or it could focus all of its attention on us,” Nihlus pointed out.

“Even better.” Shepard turned towards the screen, where the Geth cruiser was bearing down on the unsuspecting colony. She looked away and back at the team. “Okay, solid plan. It’s a go. Get down to the Garage, gear up, and get ready to drop. I’ll go fill in Joker.”

The motley team stood and made for the door without a sound.

Shepard shouted after them, “And someone, please, decide on a name for the Geth!”

* * *

A few minutes later, after Shepard supervised the successful maneuvers that brought them in-system, seemingly without alerting the Geth frigates or cruiser, she exited the elevator and headed for the Mako. The team was performing final checks on their gear, outside of the large vehicle. The Geth was inspecting Shepard’s Avenger assault rifle, while Nihlus showed Tali some checks with her shotgun. Garrus and Wrex stood closer to the Mako and seemed to be incredulously discussing how it worked. Giving the machine looks that were a mix of apprehension and confusion. Saren leaned against the lockers, watching Shepard.

_Oh yeah, the Mako’s an Alliance convention isn’t it? No one here except myself has ever ridden down in one. This’ll be fun._ Shepard smiled at the thought, forcing herself to stop thinking about the doomed colony below them. 

“Team, we’ll be dropping in here,” she sent out a ping to each of their Omni-tools, linking their HUD’s waypoints and comm channels, “between two dormant volcanoes. There is a ridge a click further north that’ll take us up, over the smaller mountain. From there it's a straight shot, down through a valley, then onto dig site Icarus.

“It’s only a few clicks overall, but for most of it, we will be out in the open and there will be plenty of lava pools.” She began a routine final check of her own weapons, slinging her rifle onto her back and her pistol on her hip. The Geth was also using her shotgun, so she finished quickly. “Garrus, how familiar are you with the cannon?”

The Turian looked up at it then back at Shepard. “Oh you mean the 155mm mass accelerator cannon, with the coaxially mounted machine gun turret? I just glanced at it for the first time when I got down here, so...intimately.” He gave a cock-sure grin with his mandibles. “I may need to calibrate it to my Kuwashii, though.”

“Good. Garrus you have the accelerator. Wrex, you’ll be with him, manning the turret, just in case the Geth spot us, you two will need to keep them off us. Tali, I want you upfront with me, monitoring hull and shield strength. It requires a manual application of Omni-gel to recharge the shield and repair the hull.”

She turned to the Geth now, who had put the assault rifle on his back and was looking between everyone on the team and Shepard as she spoke. “What’s the name going to be?”

“Tali’zorah-Creator has suggested the temporary ‘code-name’ of 1183. We have reached consensus that this will suffice for this mission.”

“Okay.” She waved between the Geth and the team. “Everyone, 1183. 1183, everyone. You’ll be upfront as well, monitoring communications and navigation. I also want you to keep an eye on what I’m doing while I’m driving. I may not always be able to drive and someone needs to learn so the team isn’t stuck on a planet if I’m dropped.”

Shepard gave a final nod to each of them and then waved for them to enter the vehicle. Silently they piled in, clasping their helmets around their heads. Shepard followed suit, pulling herself in last. The interior was spacious enough if there were only three occupants, but with the seven of them jockeying for position, it felt extremely cramped. Shepard slid over 1183 in the passenger seat and the slender frame of Tali perched between on the center-front seat.

She waved her Omni-tool and started the vehicle. The thrum of its engine vibrated under her, doing little to relax her. They were less than a minute from dropping in and this was the crucial part; the cruiser was most likely to spot them now, during their approach. 

“If this is your first time in the M35 Mako...” she turned, meeting each of their eyes. Tali looked nervous, Saren looked somewhat calm and collected, as did Nihlus. Wrex was eager and Garrus tried his best to mirror the Spectres. 1183 just shone its light at Shepard. She forced a wide smile. “Whatever you do, fasten your seatbelts! It’s going to be a bumpy-ass ride!”

As if on cue, the Normandy shuddered, entering the atmosphere. Joker called on the comm. “Just entered atmo. So far the cruiser hasn’t noticed us and those frigates are still half an hour out. I can’t tell if they see us or not but if they use the same scanners we do, they shouldn’t be able to see through the planet.”

“Good work, Joker.” Shepard began rotating the wheel before her and pulled one of the levers. They slowly started rolling forward on the thick tires. Before them, the Normandy’s bay doors hissed and began preparing an opening sequence. “Let me know when we hit the drop-zone. Once we’re away, you turn and get the hell out of here. Stay out of sight until we call for a pick-up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Even Joker seemed uncharacteristically succinct. 

_He knows, just like I do, that with the small victory of avoiding the cruiser's attention, we’re condemning more civilians in Nova Ketarinburg to death._ Shepard knew she shouldn’t think about it like that, but she also knew she wouldn’t ever see it another way. _After this, I’ll need to talk to Joker. Make sure he knows he isn’t responsible for this._

Wrex broke her from her silent thoughts. “Shepard. You sure I can’t drive? It seems like it’d be fun.”

“Do you have any experience operating Alliance wheeled-hardware?” She turned to look at the Krogan, half expecting an affirmative. 

“Not wheeled, no.” He smirked and she rolled her eyes. _He’s very...confident. Wonder what...no. Not during a mission, Shepard._

A moment later, Vakarian piped up “You know, Wrex, they call you the handsome one, but you’re just brazen. Throw enough eggs and eventually one will hatch, right? How often does that happen for ya?”

“I don’t know, bird-brain, how often do you actually hit a shot with that gun of yours?”

“Often enough that you’re still here to use old-fashioned insults. What are you gonna call me next, Dextro-bait?”

“I was thinking more like pyjak-wings.”

Tali spoke up now, turning half around. “I think I remember seeing that restaurant back in the Wards! Is it any good? I’ve always wanted to try it!”

Whatever their response to Tali’s joke was going to be, it was lost as suddenly the lights surrounding the bay doors flashed and it began sliding down, transforming into a ramp, leading out into the open, ashy air of Therum. 

“Drop-zone in, five, four, three,” Joker’s countdown sounded in each of their ears. Tali and Garrus clutched their harness’ while Wrex began giggling. 1183 looked like he was attempting to reach a final consensus. Saren and Nihlus gave each other questioning looks, finally coming to terms with their nervousness. 

“Two.” 

Shepard grinned and pulled a lever. As much as she didn’t particularly like driving the Mako, her stomach had been flipping constantly since leaving the Citadel. She had been second-guessing herself, unable to make a decision. She was able to alleviate much of that when she decided to trust the Spectres and the mercenaries, but there was still a persistent itch at the anticipation of not just the mission on Therum, but the candidacy as a whole. 

But with this countdown, it suddenly became easy for her. This mission was started, whether she was ready or not. Regardless, she would see it finished. 

“One!”

She stomped on the far right pedal, tires squealing below on the deck of the Normandy. The Mako spun for a moment, but then the eezo core automatically increased the weight, just enough for it to catch traction. It bucked and jumped forward, speeding towards the wind whipping around past the Normandy’s bay door. 

The Mako’s first two wheels left the ramp and Tali let out an involuntary screech at the sudden pitching. Shepard grinned and pulled another lever, activating the forward two thrusters, feathering them enough so the Mako stayed level as the rest of it rocketed out into open air. 

They dropped like a stone in water; in just a few seconds, they fell hundreds of meters, speeding towards the mottled grey and orange ground. Behind her, she could still hear the faint laughter of Wrex. _This is probably tame compared to what they do for recreational activities on Tuchanka._ Still, Shepard couldn’t suppress her own grin. If nothing else, she had made a decision and was determined to stick with it. 

They fell for almost half a minute, with Shepard alternately feathering the six thrusters so they wouldn’t flip over. At the last possible moment, she pulled another lever and triggered the eezo core, lightening the mass of the vehicle to slow its descent. At half a click from the ground, the Mako still falling incredibly fast, she slammed on all six of the thrusters and pushed the core to its max. 

They slammed into the ground, skidding across the jagged rocks. Shepard maintained alternate pushes of the thrusters, pumping them up slightly and keeping them level. Fortunately, their drop location was clear of any lava pools so there was no danger of slamming into one; instead the danger came from flipping. Shepard had done this a hundred times, but she knew all too well the ease with which a drop like this could go wrong. As they neared the end of the drop location, Shepard switched the core back on, the eezo increasing the weight of the Mako. With each bounce, the distance it flew decreased until she was able to stomp on the left pedal and crawl to a stop.

She looked around at the team and, much like she guessed, all of them but Wrex and 1183 looked disturbed by the process. She couldn’t help but laugh at Tali - who looked like she had seen a ghost - beside her. She poked her gently in the ribs with her elbow. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”

She glanced behind and saw Saren looking incredulous at her teasing, his blue eyes wide. “You...humans...why?”

Shepard smiled at him and winked. “Just wait until I show you what we humans do for **fun**.” She pushed a lever down and gunned the Mako, speeding off northward, towards the monstrous Mount Daedalus a few clicks away. 

“I can’t wait,” Even without looking, Shepard could tell Wrex was grinning wide at the thought.

Tali finally spoke. “ **I** can. Keelah!”

* * *

The drive over the volcanic terrain was a mostly uneventful five minutes. The drive up the ridge was harrowing at times as Shepard was forced to jump the Mako over collapsed portions spanning dozen meter drop-offs ending in molten rock and bubbling magma. Once they reached the end and passed over the smaller mountain, they were afforded an overview of the volcanic valley that led north to dig site Icarus. 

The drive, finally, culminated in them reaching the base of Mount Daedalus, coming to a stop amid several prefab buildings, spread out fifty meters or so from the base of the volcano. Further along, several dozen meters up the gradual mountain slope, they saw the gaping hole of the mine's entrance, blasted into the side of the mountain. Discarded equipment still lay about, most broken from looters or disuse.

“There are no life-signs detected in the immediate vicinity, nor is there any indication of rogue Geth activity on this vehicle’s scanners.” 1183 reported dutifully as soon as they stopped moving. “The rogue Geth frigates are currently twenty-eight minutes from entering the atmosphere directly above this location. We recommend haste.”

“I agree with the Geth.” Wrex lifted his snout and tried to peer out the small windows on the side, searching the skies. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Let’s go.” Shepard popped the hatches and they all climbed out. As soon as the Mako’s doors opened, Shepard felt the oppressive heat strike her to the core. 

Garrus immediately grunted. “Shit. Those scientist’s models were incorrect - it’s already a single, giant volcano.”

Nihlus smirked at that. “What, are you afraid you’ll start roasting, pyjak-wings?” 

Before Garrus could reply, Shepard cut in. “Okay, we’ll split into two teams and search the prefabs, heading forward towards the entrance. Tali, Nihlus, and 1183, you’re with me. Saren, you’ve got Garrus and Wrex. I’ll take my team through the eastern build -.”

“Shepard-Commander, we have detected life signs ninety-two point nine-five meters northward.” 1183 pointed up towards the mine's entrance. “At present, we detect eleven life signs. They are all within close proximity to one another.”

Nihlus cursed and looked down at his Omni-tool. “I’m detecting ten hot weapons, all ready to fire at a moment's notice. Striker Assault.” He turned to Shepard. “Weapon of choice for most mercs.”

Shepard spun to Garrus, her instincts immediately kicking off. _This mission is about to get fucky._ “Garrus, get to a good vantage nearby, quietly. Scope in on the entrance but don’t shoot until I tell you.”

To the rest, “My team, we’re going in. Saren, your team stays back and guards our exit. If you need to, turtle up in the Mako. It should have enough Omni-gel to last until we get back.”

The team broke into a flurry of movement; Wrex pulled one of his shotguns and crouched down by the Mako, Saren moved over to a nearby prefab to get good positioning. Garrus ran forward a few meters and leaped towards the top of another prefab, clutching the edge with his talons. He pulled himself up, impressively quietly for his height, and lay prone. He unholstered his Mantis and scoped up. 

Shepard moved directly northward, pulling her pistol, while the rest followed her, staying low and ducking behind prefabs and large tools. She sent a ping on her Omni-tool, activating everyone’s comms embedded in their helmet. “Garrus, report.”

“Ten mercs, all Krogan. One is the obvious leader, based on his armor and big - oh shit.”

Shepard held up a hand and the team melted into the shadows of the nearby prefabs, waiting. “What is it?”

“He’s a Battlemaster. He just threw up a barrier. This scientist of yours threw a nasty warp at him but he blocked it.”

“What about the scientist?” Shepards stomach dropped. _Ten mercs, all Krogan and one’s a Battlemaster?_ **_We_ ** _would be hard-pressed to survive that kind of encounter, even if she’s a biotic, they’ll cut her to pieces._ “Is she alive?”

“Oh no, she’s fine, but you guys may want to hurry. She ran off into the mine and the mercs are following.” 

“Fuck,” Shepard stood and waved at her team. “Double-time, people!” Over the comms, she shouted to Saren’s team. “Any more mercs surface, don’t wait for my orders, shoot on sight! Keep me in the loop about those rogue Geth!”

As soon as she spoke, a sniper shot sounded, from Garrus’ position. “Okay, tagged the last one, but I don’t think he’s done yet. The rest moved in, but they also may be aware of you now. Sorry.”

“Good shooting! We’ll take care of the rest.” She skirted a prefab, and before her was open ground, slanted up. At the top of the hill, the entrance to the mine lay open like a mouth waiting to swallow them whole. 

She began sprinting as fast as her legs would pump. Behind her, she heard Tali breathing heavily and the clomping metal legs of 1183 close by. Nihlus, his long Turian legs blurring, overtook her in the open ground and reached the entrance first. 

He crouched and waited for them, taking up the lead position as they moved forward. Laying sprawled and leaking blood, the merc that Garrus had tagged was slowly crawling into the mountain entrance. Nihlus confidently strode forward and tucked his shotgun between the hump and the head of the Krogan. He pulled the trigger twice, then backed away from the entrance and spasming body. 

He turned slightly back, eyeing Shepard. “The researcher’s a biotic? Tevos’ report didn’t mention that.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. This whole thing stinks.” 

“Agreed and not just because of them.” He jerked his head towards the still body of the Krogan. “What’s our strategy for taking on nine more?”

Shepard clenched her jaw and looked back at Tali and 1183, for all intents and purposes they were as green as recruits. She looked back at Nihlus. “I’ll take 1183, you take Tali. Standard leap-frog. You go first, we’ll cover you. If we engage a small enough number, we take them. If there are too many to handle, we back away and sneak around.”

Nihlus pulled up his Omni-tool and inspected the public map of the mines and dig site, which was littered with side passages and alternate routes. “Alright, Shepard. Sound plan.” He gave her a grin and waved Tali forward, speaking quietly to her. 

Shepard moved back to 1183. “Have you ever fired a gun before?”

“Negative.”

“Do you know how?”

“We have viewed the Alliance material you gave us. There were brief instructional videos on the proper techniques of holding, aiming, and firing different types of armament.”

“Do you feel confident you can do this, or should we switch you with one of Saren’s team?” Shepard would feel weird asking such a question to an organic, but she knew if anyone would be completely honest, it would be a Geth.

“We follow wherever Tali’zorah-Creator goes.” He looked forward to Tali, who was nodding at something that Nihlus said. “We have reached consensus. We are confident.”

Shepard smiled. “Good enough for me. Stick close, 1183, do as I say, when I say. If I don’t give any direction, copy me.”

“Affirmative, Shepard-Commander.”

The team moved silently past the still-bleeding corpse, into the dark interior of the mine, eyes alert for more danger. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few things: 
> 
> 1\. Shep does NOT like mercenaries, does she? Wonder what that's about... ;) 
> 
> 2\. Those two mercs, btw, are essentially the same characters from the game, which helps me not have to come up with completely new or extrapolated characteristics. Also, the world-building changes in this AU don't really impact who they would be as characters, versus Tali and Saren, who have obviously been more heavily impacted.
> 
> 3\. 1183 will get a real name soon, I promise!
> 
> 4\. Let me know what you think about the idea of putting Sheps speech at the front. I like the idea of doing that as a start for some chapters that could use it, similar to how the game has the convo between Udina, Hackett and Anderson about Shepard that sets the story up but also throws your right into the world. 
> 
> 5\. I mentioned cutting out pages at the top. Just for posterities sake, I've kept them and put them in their own file as a sort of 'deleted scenes' type thing. I'm planning, if there is interest, in compiling them and posting them. I thought it might be fun! :D let me know what you think!


	4. Ch. 4 - Therum: Out of the Volcano

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and crew track down the mysterious Prothean expert, through the volcanic dig site on Therum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ahhhh. Gotta love it when life slaps you in the face to remind you it exists. Apologies for the large span of time with nothing being posted; work stuff came up - and I felt drained so I decided to play through Mass Effect again!
> 
> Anyways, here's the next chapter! Remember that party, I mentioned? Well, the fun starts here!
> 
> Like the last chapter, this one will be the same version as what is posted on Fanfiction, so no lewds this chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoy - and wait, what's that? Oh yeah, Chapter 5 is up too! :)

“Four contacts, processing room, directly ahead,” Nihlus spoke quietly, an eye on his Omni-tool and his shotgun trained forward. The group slowed to a stop, waiting, in the middle of a corridor of rough-hewn stone. 

Relatively straight and barely wide enough for two of them to stand abreast, this path, like the rest they had moved through, seemed to have been carved using hand-held eezo-powered tools. A closed circular door was nestled into the right wall about ten meters away and the passage split into a three-way fork another dozen meters further down. 

Directly behind the half-crouched Nihlus, and hugging the wall to their right, Tali hefted her shotgun above his shoulder, doing her best to keep him clear of any shots. To Tali’s left, Shepard was also half-crouched against the left wall, her pistol held towards the door and the rest of the passage. Behind Shepard, standing tall and taking up the rear, 1183 trained Shepard’s Avenger assault rifle above her shoulder and with a clear shot down the passage. 

_We must be getting close to the ruins. My money is on this mystery expert trying to lose them there. And it makes sense the signal would originate from there, too._

Nihlus continued, whispering, “The room is roughly three meters by six meters. Two doors; the one in front of us and another directly opposite it on the back wall. Mercs are hugging each of the corners; their weapons are hot.”

“Can we go around?” Shepard jerked her head slightly at the fork in the passageway before them. 

Nihlus shook his head. “Left loops back to the entrance, right moves up the mountain, towards another entrance, center is a dead end. Probably one of the last passageways Ikar cleared out before finding the ruins.”

“Copy. We’ll drop some disks in, get their attention, and funnel them through the door.” Shepard caught 1183’s attention and gestured for him to hug the wall to get a better angle at the door, while she moved into the middle of the passage. “Tali, see what you can do about the door to stem the tide.”

Shepard swung her hand forward, and they slowly advanced on the door. She had been making an effort to primarily communicate with Tali and the Geth by using standard Alliance military hand signals. _Tali keeping up has been a pleasant surprise. 1183, however, isn't a surprise whatsoever._

At two meters out she called a halt and motioned for 1183 to give her covering fire. Nihlus and Tali continued forward until they were only a meter from the door. Tali hacked the door's console, setting it on a timed open/close cycle of one-point-five seconds. _Perfect._

Shepard counted down on her fingers, plucking a grenade from her belt and cycling it to HE. She hefted it, thumbing the activation. Her fist clenched and Tali rebooted the doors sequence, opening it. Just as Nihlus said, two Krogan crouched, waiting, against the left-most wall, directly visible to Shepard. 

She tossed her grenade, planting it directly between the two against the left wall. She raised her pistol and fired, doing her best to herd the Krogan further into the room towards the door - and the grenade. 

_Like a charm._ The Krogan closer to the door huddled into his corner, while the one further into the room ran forward reflexively, seeking the closest cover. He stepped forward and the door closed. A millisecond later, an explosion knocked dust and rocks down from above. 

Quiet settled, for a moment, before the door cycled open, in response to the multiple roars of rage from inside. The Krogan who had stepped directly on top of the grenade, lay unmoving, missing most of his legs, and his front and side were completely shredded, burbling a dark yellow. 

The Krogan closest to the door swung around, his chest, right arm, and face covered in gore. He hefted a Striker assault rifle at Shepard, but the door cycled closed again, deflecting his bullets. The Krogan bellowed, and Shepard was already diving forward, signaling 1183 to stay where he was mid-somersault. 

She came up on the other side of the door, hugging the same wall as Nihlus and Tali. She gave them a nod, just as the door opened once more. The injured Krogan immediately opened fire where he last saw Shepard; a now-empty spot in the corridor. His frustrated roar and advancement were cut off again, by the door slamming closed in his face.

Shepard took a breath, raising her pistol, readying herself. _Even a Krogan merc won’t be dumb enough to fall for it again. He’s going to come out and he’ll be swinging._

As she thought, as soon as the door cycled open, a mass of bleeding, angry Krogan barreled out, roaring a final challenge. He was answered by a hail of bullets from the squad and was cut to ribbons only two steps outside of the door. The corpse stumbled to the left wall, falling still. 

Faster than Shepard thought, though, a third mass of bellowing, angry Krogan barreled out, barely avoiding the door slamming shut. He swung to Nihlus and Tali, the closest enemies. Shepard watched with wide eyes as their shotguns dispensed the built-up heat, while the merc bum-rushed them, hefting his massive arms like clubs. 

Nihlus, quick as ever, leaped away, spinning in mid-air. He managed to let off a shot with his shotgun, the only one he was afforded before it over-heated again. Tali stood still, shocked at the sudden rampaging Krogan. 

_Shit, Tali!_

Everything slowed down. 

**_Move!_ **

The door opened again and the last merc rushed through, caught Nihlus as soon as he landed on the ground, and slammed him against the opposite wall. Shepard sprung toward Tali, but she was too late. The merc bearing down on her swung a heavy arm, catching her across the shoulder and neck, slamming her to the wall with a crunch. 

Shepard raised her pistol, as Tali fell, unloading all six shots into the back and hump of the Krogan. He ignored them. He snarled and raised a boot to crush the Quarian in front of him. Shepard opened her mouth, despair clutching her breath.

Suddenly, 1183 was there, running forward at an incredible speed, releasing an electronic screech like he had been the one slammed by the Krogan's arm. He reached the Krogan, caught his attention, and cracked the Avenger rifle with all of his might into the face of the mercenary. The firearm bent, sparking slightly, before the Geth's full, metal, weight crashed into the Krogan.

Surprisingly, 1183’s short sprint contained enough force to send the two stumbling away from Tali, crashing into the wall and collapsing into a pile in front of the still cycling door. Shepard, forced to side-step, whipped around and took aim at the merc, waiting for a clear shot. 

In her peripheral, she saw Nihlus duck underneath a heavy swing from his Krogan and skip away. The Krogan rushed him again, but this time, Nihlus ran to meet him, placed his left hand on the shoulder of the merc, jumped up, and ran across the wall over the Krogan. As he passed overhead, he slammed his shotgun between the hump and head, firing twice. Nihlus landed on his feet, behind the staggering Krogan, and turned to face him, like a matador and his bull. He crouched low, waiting for the merc to rush him again, his shotgun dispensing heat. 

Shepard’s attention was dragged back to the struggle in front of her as 1183 screeched again, this time clearly in worry. The Krogan's massive left hand was wrapped around the arm of the Geth, attempting to rip it off. The metal strained and sparked against the incredible Krogan strength, while 1183’s other arm slammed, ineffectively, into the side of his assailant's head. The Krogan roared into 1183's light, as it entered fully into its blood rage. 

Shepard rushed forward, slamming her pistol into the elbow joint of the Krogan on the ground, wrapping one of her legs around the large bicep and bracing herself against the forearm with her other arm. She pulled the trigger, unleashing half a dozen shots in quick succession. The Krogan managed to maintain its hold through the first four, then finally loosened his grip on the fifth, and on the sixth, Shepard’s bullets ripped all the way through it. His roar of rage morphed into one of pain as his arm flopped uselessly, detached. 

Shepard lost her grip as the Krogan bucked against 1183, sending him flying and knocking Shepard aside with his stump. The back of her head smacked against the ground and everything flashed black. Her pistol wasn't in her hand and it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. Dazed, she watched 1183 scramble away, scooping up the Avenger assault rifle. He straddled Tali, protectively, and with the one working arm, he lifted the rifle at the Krogan.

Shepard felt herself yanked forward, the Krogan grabbing her ankle and pulling her close, directly beneath his head. It stood, pouring yellowish blood down from its mangled stump onto her and the stone below. He raised his remaining fist and snarled down at her. 

Again, things slowed, adrenaline racing through her and highlighting her surroundings. Behind her, she glimpsed 1183 holding her assault rifle, preparing to fire, but he stopped. _He doesn’t have a clear shot! Between the bent rifle and the one arm, he isn’t confident he_ **_won’t_ ** _hit me._

Curiously, looking up at the raging Krogan, its clouded eyes and frothing mouth, she could only think of Wrex, with his scarring underneath the plate atop his head. Shepard scrambled for her knife, yanking it from her waist.

Then the Krogan fist came toward her, like a meteor crashing from the sky. Shepard raised her right shoulder, thrusting her knife past the arm of the Krogan. The massive fist slipped past, cracking the stone and crunching bones. 

Shepard flipped the knife into a reverse grip and with her other hand, she grasped at the armored leg of the Krogan, pulling herself halfway up. She tensed her knife arm as the Krogan let out another rage-filled roar at her audacious escape. She returned the scream and slammed her own hand towards the face of the Krogan. 

Her aim was true, the point of the knife slipped perfectly between the centimeter wide gap between the Krogan’s plate and its brow, meeting slight resistance as it sliced into the frontal lobe of the Krogan’s brain, severing nerves and synapses. The Krogan’s roar ended, and suddenly it was only Shepard screaming in the face of her now-dead enemy.

Everything returned to normal speed as the adrenaline faded from her system. She let go of the Krogan’s leg and fell onto her back while the dead Krogan above her followed suit. She stayed on the ground and let out a heavy breath. Nihlus appeared above her, the side of his helmet covered in yellowish blood. 

“Shepard. You alright?” He was also breathing heavily. He began to check her for injuries but she waved him away. 

“Tali. She took a heavy hit.”

Nihlus rushed over and she heard him and the Geth converse. 1183 sounded worried, as much as the synthesized voice could. She heard the familiar sound of a Medi-gel canister opening. 

“Is she okay?” Shepard called over, finally crawling to her hands and mounting the body of the merc. 

“She’ll be fine,” Nihlus called over. “Did you really get your knife under his plate?” The Spectre sounded astonished, and Shepard would have felt pride if she wasn’t suddenly so tired.

She reached for her knife, grasping the hilt as pain began setting into her back and neck. She yanked it out, dark yellow blood spraying as it was removed from the brain of the Krogan. The corpse spasmed and she tumbled away, yelping. 

Nihlus was there again, helping pull her up. “Yep, you did. Impressive” He laughed a little and patted her back. “Here. I think you dropped this.” His hand appeared, holding her pistol.

“Thanks, Nihlus.” She gave him a nod, tired. She holstered her pistol, after making sure it wasn’t damaged. “I’m surprised it worked.”

“Wait, you didn’t know?”

“No,” Shepard shook her head, struggling to think. She reflexively administered a small shot of Medi-gel, clearing her head. “I just remembered seeing Wrex’s amp-scar and wondered if my knife could split the difference on this one.” 

She had never had a gunfight - not to mention a fistfight - with a Krogan before. Though she had read plenty of instructions on facing down the berserkers in a shoot-out, she had never heard of knifing between the plate and brow before. 

“Well, again, you prove your impressiveness, Shepard. Few can go toe to toe with a Krogan and walk away with their life.” He raised his right hand, showing a crooked finger, clearly broken. “Not to mention without even a broken bone.”

“Shit! Are you okay, Nihlus?” Shepard reached for his hand with hers.

“Yeah, I’m fine. My tactic is easier than yours, but it does pose certain risks,” Nihlus chuckled, reached for her waist, and plucked off a Medi-gel canister. Together, they set the snapped finger and inserted the canister through his gauntlet. Nihlus grunted once, then flexed his hand. “Good as new.”

Shepard touched his arm, lingering, thinking she should say something, when Tali groaned further back the corridor, drawing her attention. She reluctantly slid past the Turian. 1183 crouched next to the injured Quarian, his working arm resting on hers. She leaned against the metal chest of her partner. 

“Keelah. That...hurt.”

Nihlus was by her side again. “Her clavicle is lucky it isn’t crushed into tiny pieces. She has a minor case of whiplash, but it should be cleared up in another minute once the Medi-gel runs its course.”

“Tali’Zorah-Creator moved just enough to avoid serious injury when the Mercenary-Krogan attacked her.” Shepard couldn't help but smile at the proud intonation in 1183’s voice. 

“I...” Tali still looked dazed but managed to turn to 1183. Even though Shepard couldn’t see the Quarian’s face, she saw her eyes gleaming at her partner.

“Tali’Zorah-Creator will be fully recovered?” 1183’s singular light looked up at Shepard and Nihlus. At their reassuring nods, he gestured at his defunct, sparking arm. “We require allied assistance.” 

Tali, more lucid, gave the arm an alarming inspection. “What did you do?”

Shepard spoke up before 1183 could undersell his performance. “He saved your life. The merc was about to stomp your lights out and he came rushing in like a freight train. Swept the Krogan off his feet and started pummeling him.”

“We are not proficient in hand-to-hand engagement.” He looked at Tali, speaking matter-of-factly. “This appendage was in danger of forced removal. Shepard-Commander offered allied assistance.”

Tali’s eyes squinted, as she smiled beneath the opaque mask. She patted 1183’s arm and gave Shepard a glance of thanks. “Don’t worry. I can fix your arm.” She pulled up her Omni-tool and began running diagnostics on him.

Shepard and Nihlus stepped away, giving them some room to work. Silently, stealing glances, they went from corpse to corpse, ensuring the mercenaries were dead. Eventually, they moved to the processing room as well, making sure no surprises waited for them. With effort, Shepard forced herself to stay focused on the task at hand, even though she wanted nothing more than to look at and talk to Nihlus. _And more. It’s been too long since I’ve been laid._

Nihlus told her he was going to check the perimeter and he would be right back. She nodded absentmindedly as the other door in the processing room slid open and the Spectre left. _Our hands_ **_touched_ ** _and now I can’t stop thinking about what I want him to do, to me, with them._

The room was mostly bare, holding only a few crates scattered against the walls and pieces of a shattered table in the middle of the room. At one point, Shepard guessed, it would have been packed full of all manner of tables and tools used to manually inspect different types of rocks for trace amounts of metal. Ikar, from what little Shepard could find on the extranet, had been big proponents of the more archaic methods of identifying potential mining veins. 

Shepard quickly cased the room, her mind perpetually bouncing back and forth to Nihlus, Saren, Tali, and 1183. _Anderson was right; they're all just too intriguing...distracting almost. After this, I’ve got to get some time alone and figure this out._

All too soon, Nihlus returned, stepping back through the door that led to the ruins. Shepard moved over to a crate near the corpse of the Krogan taken out by her grenade, facing away from Nihlus. She pretended to inspect the exposed contents. 

“We’ve got a problem, Shepard.”

She closed her eyes briefly, then spun, ready for the bad news. “What’s the issue?” 

“This close to the signal’s source, and the fact that we’re currently inside a volcano, leaves our longer-range comm’s useless. Saren’s team can’t reach us and we can’t reach them.”

“Fuck! The Normandy, too?” Nihlus gave a grim nod.

“Yep, unless we can shut the signal off, we're deaf.” Nihlus pointed out the door he just came through. “It continues to get stronger through there; whatever the source is, it’s in the ruins themselves.”

“Any idea what exactly is giving off the signal?”

“I don’t know, but I’m confident it isn’t another Beacon.” Nihlus stepped up to the crate Shepard stood in front of. 

“Confident?” Shepard couldn’t help the teasing tone her voice took on. “Why?”

“Two reasons. “The base EM waves are different. More...focused, if that makes sense.” 

Shepard laughed and poked him with her elbow, “Hey, you’re the tech-guy here. I just shoot things.” 

Nihlus chuckled and returned the playful touch on her arm. He waved for her to follow him and continued, heading for the door he just came through. “I found something you'll want to see.” 

On the other side, a rough-walled stone cave led down, but almost immediately, about five meters past the start of the cave, the walls and floor changed to a strange worked-material, brick-like in shape. Shepard couldn’t tell if it was stone, metal, or some sort of composite material, but it immediately reminded her of the Prothean Beacon she saw on Eden Prime; austere, but at the same time mystical. The whole area glowed with a subdued greyish-blue hue. 

Nihlus continued to an alcove a few meters deep, and pointed. “The second, and more damning, piece of evidence.”

Inside the nook, a familiar metal pedestal rested, sweeping lines like hands, proffering something. It was currently empty, but around it, shattered pieces of metal lie, scattered about. Shepard’s jaw dropped and she turned to Nihlus, who only nodded.

“Ran some quick tests. The same unknown composite material as the Beacon found on Eden Prime. It’s busted, worse than the one we broke.”

Shepard looked back at the wrecked Beacon. “Any idea what or who broke it?”

“None. There is very little dust and dirt on the pieces here, but that could just be because this has been an official dig site for a few weeks, and an unofficial one for weeks before that. It could have been uncovered broken, or it could have been broken anytime in the last month.”

“Shit. I assume we’ll be as lucky with getting anything from it as the one on Eden Prime?”

Nihlus nodded, dejected. Shepard gave one last look at the debris. She shook her head then led Nihlus back to the passageway where Tali and 1183 were. _At least that's one question answered._

* * *

The open/close cycle on the door since terminated, Shepard stepped through easily and looked down the passage. Tali was holding the remnants of one of the Krogan’s Strikers, using her Omni-tool to meld raw pieces of the metal to the bare joints of 1183’s arm. She looked up as they approached.

“Almost finished.” She looked back down again, muttering something in Khelish that Shepard’s translator didn’t pick up. Then, exasperated she looked back up. “Okay, the arms fixed.” She stood and helped 1183 to his feet. Tali’s hands lingered on the arm of her partner before she dropped them and picked up her shotgun, reholstering it. She turned away and pretended to pack away the remains of the dismantled gun.

Shepard looked at Nihlus, eyebrow cocked. He shrugged.

“Okay, let’s get ready to move out,” Shepard spoke loudly, drawing Tali’s attention. Shepard pointedly shifted her own attention to the Geth. “1183, you’re with me. Help me a moment over here. Nihlus?” She jerked her head to Tali and he nodded. 

Shepard led the Geth to the Krogan corpse towards the fork and scooped up its Striker. She started absentmindedly checking it, trying to familiarize herself with it. She saw Nihlus lead the dejected Tali through the processing room, talking to the Quarian quietly. The Geth was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“Shepard-Commander, do you require allied assistance?” The Geth glanced at the door Tali disappeared through.

“Not in the way you probably think, 1183.”

“We do not understand your statement.”

Shepard was silent as she hefted the gun, getting used to its weight. She pointed down the passage, directly at the corpse of the Krogan she had killed. “Shoot the left foot, with my Avenger.”

Immediately, 1183 lifted the bent gun and squeezed the trigger and the superheated metal slammed into the flesh, spraying yellow. 

“Now with one arm.”

1183 hesitated for only a moment, before complying. Again, the foot rocked, a bloody pulp. 1183 turned back to Shepard, light turned downward, looking as dejected as Tali.

“We understand.” Shepard raised her eyebrow and waited. “You wish to know the reason we did not offer allied assistance before.”

Shepard nodded. “1183, I’ve been in gun-fights with Geth before; Geth that weren’t as intelligent as you. They didn’t miss unless they intended to lay down covering fire. They didn’t worry about missing the mark, because they **never** missed the mark.” 

“We regret our inability to offer allied assistance to you, Shepard-Commander.”

“‘Inability’?”

“Affirmative.” 1183 cocked his head, in an approximation of an ashamed puppy. “According to the instructional records we reviewed pertaining to Systems Alliance live-round gunfire regulations, it is suggested to never pull the trigger of a firearm if an ally is in the line of fire. We could not reach consensus in time, and thus, we were unable to offer allied assistance.” 

_Stuck in a logic loop? I didn’t know that was possible for Geth._ Shepard stepped forward, placing a hand on 1183’s shoulder. “In the future, if you know you can fire and avoid hitting me, another ally, or an innocent, do it.”

She gave him a reassuring nod and slid past him, making for the door. She holstered the Striker on her back. _It isn’t ideal, but it’ll do until we get off this fucking volcano planet._

“Shepard-Commander, we have a query.” 1183 followed her. “Do you trust us to reach such a decision?”

That stopped Shepard. _Do I?_ She looked back at the Geth. Seeing him dive forward, willing to sacrifice himself for Tali...that proved enough to her. She nodded and took off her folded Avenger rifle. “I’ve seen first hand what a Geth can do with a sniper. Here.”

1183, reverently, took the scoped rifle from her. He unfolded it and looked it up and down, like a knight looking at a magical sword. He shone his light at Shepard’s face, the fans surrounding them retracting and shifting in a manner she hadn’t seen yet. Silently, he gave her back the bent Avenger. 

Shepard smiled and turned back to the door. She exchanged the Krogan-made rifle with hers, flinging the piece of junk away.

They entered through the circular door into the processing room and across the way, Nihlus and Tali were practicing a maneuver, similar to what Nihlus had performed that allowed him to dodge the Krogan’s charge. Tali looked decidedly more positive, squinting eyes belying a cheerful smile. 

Shepard walked up, planting her hands on her hips and watching proudly as Tali flipped over a crate, 1183 close on Shepard's heels. “Ready to move?”

Tali and 1183 gave an affirmative, and Nihlus gave her a nod. They fell back into their positions and continued, moving into the ruin proper. 

* * *

To Shepard, the ‘ruin’ was more of a system of caves, mostly cleared of debris, with a few standing, knee-height walls of obvious ancient and alien design; the same greyish-blue brick-like material. There were sheet metal tents propped up in every corner, empty except for a multitude of tables, filled with tools, rocks, and the odd piece of debris that may or may not have been remnants of the dig site.

Nihlus, leading them, more than once stopped his mostly straight-on approach through the main line of caves and diverted them through smaller, cramped side caves that looked to be still in the process of being cleared out. Always, Nihlus kept his eyes on his Omni-tool, tracking the signal, narrowing down the location of its source. Finally, after several minutes of quiet half-crouching through the ever-increasing heat of the subterranean cave complex, the Turian Spectre quietly bid them to stop.

They stood in the middle of a small, semi-circular cavern, roughly three meters by three meters. An opening behind them and an opening before them were the only things of interest in the room, besides the small piece of worked material, half dug up, against the wall. At a glance, Shepard could see it was the same style of the other half-walls she had seen throughout the cave complex. She still couldn’t tell it's compositional make-up.

Shepard watched the opening before them intently, sweat dripping down her brow and back. Nihlus studied his Omni-tool for a moment more, before he tapped Tali’s shoulder and pointed at the opening Shepard watched. The two switched and Shepard approached Nihlus.

Whispering, he showed her his Omni-tool, standing close. “Five more life-signs, up ahead, straight through the cave after this one. It looks like it opens into a sizable cavern.”

Shepard studied the map before her. “It looks like we can skirt them; go through the next cave and hook an immediate left.” She pointed out the route.

Nihlus nodded, but still looked troubled. “They’re looking for this expert, right?”

“Supposedly. It makes sense.” Shepard shrugged.

“I think so too. I’ve been going off the assumption that our expert retreated back to the source of this Prothean signal. It looks like I'm right.” He adjusted his Omni-tool and the projected path to the source of the signal continued directly to the life signs' location. 

Shepard felt her stomach drop. “You think they found and cornered her?”

“Possibly.” Nihlus hesitated. “Likely. And, on top of that, she's at or near the source of this signal.”

“Damn. Well, two birds, one stone, I guess.” Shepard winced at Nihlus pantomimed expression. “Sorry. Human expression.”

“Anyway, we should move up and try to figure out exactly why they stopped.” Nihlus shook his head and looked back at his Omni-tool.

Tali spoke up, whispering into her comm. “Do you want me to send my drone?”

Shepard moved up beside Tali, giving her a measured look. Tali returned it, confident. 

“Do it, but let’s move into the next room first.”

Silently, the four moved forward. The next room, almost identical to the one they just left, was completely clear of any ruins and had three other openings, one to the left, right, and middle. Shepard glanced in each of the side openings while Tali faced the middle, fiddling with her Omni-tool and a small metal orb. The opening to the left continued to another smaller cave, which continued straight in a single path. The opening to the right was a dead-end. 

Shepard turned back to Tali, just as the orb she held glowed white and lifted from her hand, the simple VI program uploaded to it activating. 

“Okay, Shepard. The surveillance suite is active and you can patch it into your HUD.” At Shepard’s nod, Tali waved her Omni-tool and sent the drone out, the white light dimming to a barely noticeable level. Shepard waved her hands, moving the team to a better position in case the mercs in the next room decided to rush in. She nestled herself into the dead-end and pulled up the video from the drone. 

The footage, of similar quality to that recorded by her own helmet, showed a cavern, as Nihlus said. The drone floated in from the eastern entrance, a small opening, low in the wall. Across the cavern, about ten meters away, prefab scaffolding scrawled over a giant greyish-blue structure, designed like the smaller pieces in the previous caves. A faint blue curtain of energy shimmered on the lower portion of the structure, inset into the wall, like a window. It looked like a containment field, but made of a different type of energy than anything Shepard had ever seen. 

Scattered between the eastern and western ends, sheet metal tents, crates of various sizes, and tables littered with tools and artifacts lay haphazardly, forming a sort of obstacle course. Directly in the middle of the cavern, lording over the smaller objects, a large, metal mining-laser towered. It looked barely small enough to have fit through the cave system that Shepard and her team had traversed. Overall, the cavern was only about seven meters wide.

_Lots of cover. It'll make it easier to maneuver around the room._

Finally, the drone zoomed in on five silhouettes, standing in front of the shimmering blue energy field. They were each large and imposing and obviously Krogan. The one in the middle, with the largest hump, was talking; Shepard couldn’t see to who, but her gut constricted as the Krogan’s words became clear.

“...orders to take you alive. Open the energy field now, or my orders will stop mattering to me.”

Shepard couldn’t hear the reply, but the Krogan merc must not have liked it.

“That’s not an option! She wants you and she always gets what she wants!” He snarled and turned away, leading his men to the center of the cavern, toward the mining laser. 

“Tali, any idea what they’re doing with that laser?” Shepard glanced across the cave were Tali crouched next to Nihlus.

“Just a second. My drone...there.”

The video zoomed out and swept up, giving an angle from above on the mercenaries around the mining laser. It zoomed in again, showing the Krogan tapping away at the console, their ‘gentle’ taps becoming progressively more violent.

“It looks like they’re trying to...hack it?” Tali sounded incredulous and not a small amount offended at the brutish tactic. 

_Trying to hack the mining laser...why?_ Shepard looked at the footage again. Suddenly, an idea came to her. _Shit, shit,_ **_shit!_ **

“They’re going to try and burrow underneath that containment field!” Shepard looked at her team, returning their shocked looks with her own. 

“How do you figure?” Nihlus asked, though he didn’t sound disbelieving. 

Shepard shrugged, “It’s what I would do.”

Nihlus chuckled, “Alright, what’s the plan?”

Shepard pulled up the footage again. “Tali, can you tell how far along they are with ‘hacking’ the laser?”

“Uhh...not very. They’re more likely to blow it up than to hack it by just pressing buttons.” This time, she **did** sound offended.

“Great. There are more of them this time, so I don’t want to rely on a baiting-ambush like the last group. We’ll engage them in the cavern where we’ve got plenty of cover and room to maneuver. If things get dicey, we’ll fall back here. If they follow us, **then** we’ll catch them in a cross-fire.”

She examined the view of the room again, picking out the best locations for her and her team. A moment later, she had a workable plan. 

“Tali, just to be sure, can that laser handle two close-proximity incendiary grenades?” She hefted the last two from her belt and tossed one to Nihlus.

“Uh...probably.”

“Good enough. Here’s the plan, team.”

* * *

A minute later, Shepard darted from the eastern wall’s opening, ducking behind two crates stacked together. Behind her, 1183 copied her movements, but continued further into the room. He positioned himself, soundlessly, directly behind the still-hacking mercenaries, hiding behind a sheet metal tent close to the southern wall. Across the way, Tali settled in position behind a crate nestled against a table and Nihlus split the difference by crouching behind the table's eastern corner. 

Tali’s drone, still hanging unnoticed above the mercenaries hovered closer. Shepard, now close enough to hear them talking, clicked twice on the comm, telling Tali to wait. _They may let something slip. I want to know who just_ **_happened_ ** _to put a bounty on this expert._

“How much longer?” The large Krogan, clearly the Battlemaster, paced behind the one standing at the console. 

“It’d be easier if we could have waited for the Geth.”

The Battlemaster growled, stepping forward. “I told you, she wants to avoid involving them if possible.”

The other Krogan grumbled and went back to smacking the console. 

Another Krogan nearby spoke up. “Since when do we listen to a fucking blue-bitch? Matriarch - .” He grunted as the Battlemaster sunk his fist deep into the talking merc's stomach. 

“Since I said so! And I **said** , don’t say her name! She doesn't like it.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, before the Battlemaster won the staring contest and the other looked away. The rest continued milling about, waiting for their ‘hacker’ to live up the designation.

_I think that’s about all we’ll get out of them. Who is this Matriarch? ‘Blue-bitch’? Sounds like an Asari to me...but what about Geth? Are these mercs working for the rogue Geth? If so, whoever hired these clowns also has sway over the rogue faction. Where does the Ship fit into all this?_

She shook her head. Asking questions now wouldn’t help them. _Action will, though._

She clicked her comm twice again, indicating for Tali to continue. Above, the drone obediently resumed its decline, until it was five meters above the laser. A countdown appeared on the squads HUDs.

At zero, the drone suddenly flared white, the light growing to a crescendo. It’s innate shocking tool sparked, slamming into the console of the mining laser, forcing a hard reboot of the device. All of the Krogan, but the Battlemaster, flung their hands to cover their eyes against the sudden glare. 

On cue, Shepard and Nihlus stepped out of cover, momentarily, and threw their grenades into the midst of the mercenaries. Even on a two-second delay, Shepard felt time slow down, as something decidedly **not** according to plan drew her attention.

The Battlemaster, instead of covering his eyes, summoned a shimmering biotic barrier, enveloping himself and two Krogan close to him in a blue field. The grenades landed and exploded, flinging fire onto the uncovered Krogan. Those unlucky enough to be exposed to the full force of their explosion roared in anger but the bellows quickly morphed to screams of pain as the super-heated thermal paste burned through their armor and onto their skin, forcing them to the ground.

1183 immediately rounded his cover, lining up a shot on one of the burning Krogan. The report echoed loudly around the cavern, followed by a second shot. The first took the Krogan in the screaming face, the second tore through its chest, directly where the secondary heart was. A third shot followed, barely a second later, as the Geth fired with rapid precision, hitting exactly where he intended. A fourth shot rang out and the second Krogan on the ground fell still, its screams stopped with the suddenness of a light switching off. The drone dimmed and fell to the ground, bouncing to a stop underneath a table.

1183 ducked back into cover and the remaining Krogan, untouched by the grenades and recovered from the sudden blinding light, turned, looking for the source of the onslaught, each taking up a roar of rage at the sight of their fallen companions. As a response, Shepard rounded her cover, bracing her right shoulder against the crate. She held her bent Avenger, pulling the trigger in sustained, controlled bursts. The bullets snapped into the barrier around the Krogans, catching their attention. 

Predictably, the three remaining turned and started rushing to her, but the Battlemaster stopped and stayed back, looking around. Shepard stayed where she was, squeezing the trigger all the way down. Her shots slammed into the legs of the lead Krogan, sapping the barrier’s strength and eventually tearing through, ripping into the armor, turning the flesh inside to mush. 

The Krogan stumbled, falling forward, its weight snapping one of his legs at a horrible angle. To his credit, he maintained a rage-filled scream, directed at Shepard, and lifted his Striker to compensate for his sudden lack of forward movement. The other rushing Krogan reached a meter away and now, Shepard twisted back, dipping behind her cover and darted around towards the eastern wall. 

To her left, she heard the sudden violent reports of two shotguns firing; Nihlus and Tali, exactly on cue let loose with their blasts, taking the Krogan unaware in the side and back. Within two of its giant steps, it took six shotgun blasts, decimating his barrier, shield, and armor. Yellow blood sprayed and it stumbled as well, knocking into the crates Shepard hid behind and fell to a rest, armor smoking and body bleeding. She leaped, grabbing the top of the crates and climbed on top, giving herself an aerial view of the gun-fight. The Krogan she had downed still roared a challenge at her, so she let loose a few rounds into its back and head, silencing it.

Closer to the southern wall, Tali and Nihlus were already darting around the mining laser, rounding it counterclockwise to try and catch the Battlemaster unawares. The Battlemaster looked up, holding a massive shotgun in one hand, and snarled at Shepard. He cocked back his free hand, glowing a biotic-blue. Before he could throw it, however, 1183 rounded his cover, directly to the right. He hefted Shepard’s shotgun now and unloaded three quick blasts into the flank of the Krogan, draining the strength of the barrier. 

The Battlemaster, still holding onto the biotic charge, snarled and flipped his shotgun around, letting loose two quick blasts, the first sparking off 1183’s shields, the second punching through and peppering the Geth’s metal chassis. 1183, knocked bodily back a meter, slammed into the rough rock wall, where it lay, buzzing. 

Shepard saw Nihlus and Tali round the mining laser, shotguns raised, and opened her mouth to warn them. She was too late. 

The Battlemaster spun, flinging the biotic charge at the pair. Close as they were, they were both caught in the detonation of energy, lifting them off their feet and flinging them away. Tali, the lighter of the two, spun through the air, crashed through a few crates, and came to a sudden, cracking stop against the curtain of blue energy set into the alien structure. She rolled and reflexively crawled away, clutching her side.

Nihlus wasn’t as lucky; heavier and directly next to a table, the force of the charge sent him flipping over the table like a toy thrown by a child. On his downward rotation, his head smacked straight into the metal table, his back bent further than it should, and he continued into a tent, the sheet metal collapsing directly onto him. He didn’t move.

Shepard hefted her assault rifle, only half-way done venting its built-up heat, and roared her own challenge at the Battlemaster. Her bullets ripped into his shield, sparking and sputtering. He growled and turned towards her, pumping his arms and legs, lining up a charge against the crates she stood on. Shepard ran to her left, leaping for the slanted metal of the tent 1183 used for cover. She landed, collapsing the tent, but her fall was broken. Behind her, the Krogan slammed into the crates, sending them flying. Like a bull, he reared around and faced her. 

They both rushed forward, Shepard hefting her overheated Avenger like a club and the Krogan cocking back his heavy hand for a haymaker. She slid on her knees, ducking under the blow and swung her gun up, between the tree-trunk like legs. The gun bent even further, sparking, and the Krogan caught her with a fierce kick, knocking her back into the mining laser. 

Shepard gasped, the breath knocked out of her. She tossed her useless gun to the side, unholstering her pistol and staggered to her feet. The Krogan was on her again, sprinting like a cruiser on a ramming course. This time, with the full momentum behind it, his kick slammed into her midsection and chest with the force of an explosion, knocking her back into the laser. She heard a horrible snapping sound.

A split-second later, fire lit her chest up as she breathed in. She glanced down to see her N7 chest plate and midsection caved in, splintered. The pieces fell away, exposing her chest and stomach clad in the skin-tight weave-layer. She coughed and blood splattered against her helmet. _My...my fucking ribs!_ It was hard to breathe and with each laborious breath, it felt like someone was stabbing her. 

A rough hand grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up. The Krogan Battlemaster held her close and snarled. “Idiot human. You just made the last mistake you’ll ever make.” 

He shook her, pain spasming throughout her battered body and she dropped her pistol. It was starting to get black around the edges of Shepard’s vision. Movement caught Shepard’s eyes. Behind the Battlemaster, 1183 was slowly struggling to his feet, clutching Shepard’s Avenger rifle. _Need to buy time._

She choked, “Who...working...for?” 

The Krogan laughed. “Straight to business, huh? I like your attitude. I’m actually glad you came in shooting. More fun that way.” He grinned an ugly smile, his sharp teeth glinting through his cracked lips.

“You’re...here?” Shepard tried desperately to form a coherent thought; to keep the Krogan focused on her and talking. She needed to give 1183 time to line up his shot.

“Fucking **human**. I don’t owe you any answers.” The Krogan squeezed her throat, but then stopped and chuckled. “But I suppose I could let you in on a little secret, since you’ll be dead in a minute anyway.” He pointed his shotgun, still held in a single hand, to the left, towards the structure set into the western wall. 

Shepard, with effort, followed the gesture. She saw, through bleary and darkening vision, a figure suspended in midair, behind the blue curtain of energy. From this distance and in the current circumstances, Shepard couldn’t tell much about the figure, except they were female and wore a skin-tight spacesuit; based on the build, she was either human or Asari. 

“We’re here for that annoying doctor. Our boss wants her.”

The figure was silent, and seemed to be watching with what Shepard assumed was despair.

Shepard could barely think. “You...not...Geth?”

“Huh?” The Krogan leaned closer. “Wait...who are you, human?”

Behind him, 1183 stood tall, taking aim with the Avenger. Shepard smiled as she felt herself fade. _Gotcha, dumb bastard._

Suddenly she was spun about and she found herself looking at the twisted face of the Battlemaster and behind him, the mining laser filled the background. Behind her, she heard an electronic buzzing sound. _1183! Shit, the bastard knew!_ Shepard scrabbled for her knife, struggling to breathe.

The Krogan smirked at Shepard, keeping her between him and the Geth. “Idiot human -.”

A loud sniper shot rang through the cavern, as 1183 shifted his aim and fired. The round, shot directly between Shepard’s legs, smacked into the thigh of the Krogan. He grunted, leg jerking and his grip on Shepard slackened slightly. Another shot slammed into his hump, over Shepard’s shoulder, ricocheting off. Shepard struck with her knife, aiming for the plate’s gap. 

The Battlemaster twisted his head and her knife sparked off the dense plate. The Krogan tossed her aside and Shepard collapsed, coughing. She noticed her pistol nearby and snatched it up, swinging it towards the Battlemaster, but he was already rushing forward, hefting his shotgun. She heard another sniper shot and the Battlemaster roared, blood rage in full effect. She managed to turn and see 1183, standing tall in the path of the rampaging Krogan. He let off the fourth shot, catching the Krogan in the same damaged leg, staggering the Krogan. 

1183 dropped the Avenger and pulled out his shotgun, but the Krogan fired first, his blast caught the Geth, sending it careening off the wall again. His already weakened chassis was blasted open and his left arm was ripped most of the way off, dangling, useless, by only a few metal tendrils. 1183 gave another electronic buzz and looked at Shepard, before the Krogan stepped between the two, towering over the Geth. Somehow, Shepard staggered to her feet; adrenaline and pain replacing the blood in her veins. 

She rushed forward, hefted the pistol, and jumped onto the back of the Battlemaster. She jammed her pistol between the hump and head, firing off all six shots, clenching her arm as tight as she could. The Krogan grunted, bucking, trying to get her off. He roared and she screamed back, chest on fire. She could feel her ribs raking against her lungs.

Finally, like an unwanted rider tossed from a bull, she found herself sailing in the air, before landing heavily on her side. Another explosion of pain lit her up. She groaned and clutched her midsection, trying to grit through the pain. A shadow loomed over her. She looked up and saw the Battlemaster, staggering like a drunk and bleeding from a dozen gunshots. He reached for her, when another shotgun blast ripped his damaged leg apart. He howled and collapsed to one knee. 

Like a revenant, 1183 staggered forward, leaking greenish fluid from the gaping hole in his chest and side. He held his shotgun, one-handed, while the other swung like a pendulum. The Geth reached the Krogan, and like he had seen his companions do before, slammed the shotgun’s barrel behind the hump, fired once, and stepped back as the Krogan pitched forward, twitching. Then, hesitating only a moment, he kicked the Krogan over onto his back, shoved the barrel into the open mouth, and pulled the trigger again, shredding the head to pieces. 

1183 twitched his head, looking at Shepard with his flickering light. He collapsed managing a weak, “Requesting allied assistance”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, those were some intense action scenes! 
> 
> 1\. I was definitely imagining a mix of the Matrix, Equilibrium, and John Wick when writing these, with a healthy dash of John Woo films in general. I love the idea of Gun-fu being a totally feasible thing in ME, since just about everyone has personal shields. I'm also working on developing both Saren and Nihlus' different fighting styles, and how that influences Shepard and her own fighting style.  
> 2\. We Came as Romans made up the majority of the soundtrack for this chapter, for sure! If you haven't listened to them, check em out! Otherwise, a lot of other Metal rock bands, like Killswitch Engage, All That Remains, and A Day to Remember helped a great deal.  
> 3\. I always thought Battlemasters were criminally underused in ME, so it made total sense for me to have this guy be an absolute monster to fight. The lore on them makes them sound fucking crazy! And on top of that, the most famous one of them is goddamn WREX! This is this version of Shepard's first time fighting Krogan, and she did pretty damn well, all things considered! But, yeah, never, NEVER underestimate a Krogan Battlemaster :)  
> 4\. You may be asking, what's the deal with all this 'Prothean signal' and 'broken Prothean Beacon'? To that, I implore patience! These will be answered in due time: one of my goals with this Re-imagining and AU is to flesh out elements of the ME universe that the game and its Codex just couldn't afford to spend time on. Fortunately, this translates to slightly (sometimes, greatly!) different scenarios and obstacles for our heroes to overcome. This will keep things fresh - otherwise, you could just go play the game or read the Wiki!


	5. Ch. 5 - Therum: Into the Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and crew finally dispatch the Krogan mercenaries, but more questions than answers are left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You didn't think I'd leave you on a cliffhanger like that did ya?
> 
> This version is the same as Fanfictions again, so no lewds...yet. :) still plenty more to come, I promise!
> 
> Enjoy :)

Shepard coughed again, shaking, about to collapse into unconsciousness herself. She pulled up her Omni-tool and triggered the automatic Medi-gel dispense system. Like a painful winter breeze, she felt the foam plug the holes in her lungs and slowly start to replace her ribs’ functions. She breathed in again, still feeling pain, but it was much more manageable. She stumbled to her feet and staggered to 1183. 

“Shit. Are you okay?” She dragged him against the mining laser, next to her discarded Avenger assault rifle and cracked pieces of N7 armor, and tore off her blood-splattered helmet. He didn’t say anything.

“Hold on. Let me get Tali. I’ll be right back.” Shepard pushed herself to her feet, dragging herself forward to the collapsed Quarian. On pure adrenaline, Tali had crawled towards the southwestern corner. Now though, she just lay there, unmoving. Shepard took out a Medi-gel canister and stuck it into one of Tali’s armor ports. 

A second later, Tali breathed in and coughed.  _ She’s probably got a few cracked ribs too. _ Shepard helped her up. After she made sure Tali was fine, she sent her to 1183. She could see in the corner of her eye, the suspended doctor, their expert, watching her every move. She ignored her and moved to check on Nihlus.

She cleared the debris off of the Turian, wincing as she saw blue blood pooling below the Spectre. Her Omni-tool pinged, picking up a life-sign. She took her last Medi-gel canister and inserted it into his armors port. A moment later, he stirred, then yanked off his helmet, blue blood falling out like a waterfall. His face, usually covered in white facial markings, was now smudged and covered with blue gore.

“Hey, Shepard.” He sputtered, sounding out of it.

She knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Kryik. When are you going to start calling me by first name?” She moved her other arm under his and helped him to his feet.

He winced. “Never. Then I’d just be copying Saren.” 

Shepard laughed, then immediately stopped, as the pain wracked her through the Medi-gel.  _ We need to get back to the Normandy ASAP. This foam won’t last an hour.  _ “Suit yourself, Spectre. Suit yourself.”

“I could call you ‘ma’am’?” Nihlus grinned.  _ He  _ **_must_ ** _ be out of it. He’s not usually this forward. _

She patted his back and set him down against the mining laser, next to 1183. Tali was muttering in Khelish again and using her Omni-tool to disassemble a Striker. From the looks of it, she had salvaged all of them nearby.

“How's 1183, Tali? Can you patch him up?” Shepard kneeled beside the two.

Tali tore off her helmet and looked up to Shepard with despair.

“Keelah, Shepard, I can do it, but these  **boshtet’s** weapons don’t yield enough materials, and even if they did, they wouldn't be strong enough!” She tossed the barrel of a Striker away. 

Shepard chewed on her lip, checked the time on her own Omni-tool, and crouched down. “Can he make it another fifteen minutes?” The rogue Geth frigates would be on them by then and at that point, a hole in his chest would be the least of 1183’s problems. 

“I don’t know, Shepard.” Tali sniffed and Shepard was reminded again that the young Quarian scientist was just that: young and a non-combatant.  _ Fuck! I just dragged her into this, I didn’t even think about the risk.  _

1183, ever helpful, gave a more exact diagnosis. “We have reached consensus. There is a ninety-one point zero-nine chance that this unit will cease to function without immediate allied assistance in six minutes.” He twitched his head and looked from Shepard to Tali.

Tali sniffed again and lowered her head. As strong as she was, faced with her partner's death, she couldn’t hide her fear. Shepard's heart panged at the sight 

1183’s light shifted down, as he looked at the piece of N7 armor on the ground, at his side. He grabbed it with his working arm and, almost ponderously, held it to the hole in his chest. He buzzed, then set it down in his lap. Then he looked at Shepard’s bent Avenger assault, before turning to Tali. 

“Tali’Zorah-Creator, we require allied assistance.” She let out a sob and looked up at him. “Will you transfer Shepard-Commander’s Avenger assault rifle to this unit?”

Tali, confused, stopped crying and noticed the piece of N7 armor in her partner’s lap. “Wait...that. Yes!” She looked to Shepard, a question forming on her lips. Shepard nodded and waved.  _ I don’t need the busted gear. Have at it, kids. _

Together, Tali and 1183 positioned the pieces of Shepard’s chest plate and her bent Avenger assault rifle. Together, they quickly discussed the placement and how to go about attaching it. Tali got to work, using her Omni-tool to start dissecting pieces of Shepard’s armor and assault rifle. Nihlus grunted to his feet and looked at Shepard, who stood as well. 

“Is that our Prothean expert over there?” He seemed to be slightly more cognizant, but still looked like death with his blood-smeared face.  _ I’m sure I don’t look much better. _

“Yeah. Come on.” She stepped over the Battlemaster, pointing at the corpse. “He said his orders were to take her in, alive, referring to her as a ‘doctor’.” 

“He mentioned a ‘she’ multiple times...who do you think it is? It sounds like it could be an Asari Matriarch, based on what the other Krogan said.” Nihlus followed her to the curtain of blue energy.

The suspended figure, obviously female, Shepard noted, watched them approach, arms and legs splayed out and levitating a meter off the ground. The full-body space suit she wore - civilian grade - concealed most of her physical features and had the distinct green and white, with black trim reserved for doctors.  _ That tracks. I was right, too. Either human or Asari. Won’t know for sure unless the helmet is removed.  _

She seemed to be floating in a room of the same greyish-blue, brick-like material, that had gentle slopes on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Behind her, the structure continued for a while before curving out of sight. Directly behind, and to the right of the floating woman, a console sprouted from the floor like a stout bush. On it, a three-sectioned panel rose, pulsing holographic displays flashed.

Whoever this doctor was, she seemed content to wait for Shepard and Nihlus to make the first move. Shepard cleared her throat and stepped forward. 

“Are you alright?”

Timid, the doctor shook her head up and down.

Shepard and Nihlus exchanged glances.  _ She must be scared. _

“Who are you? Can you let us in?”

Finally, the doctor spoke, her soft voice, alluring, but filled with concern. “My name is Liara. I...I can’t. I’m trapped. When I activated the Prothean barrier curtains, I must have hit something I wasn’t supposed to.”

“Wait, you know how to activate Prothean technology?” Nihlus moved forward. He seemed to think for a second, before lowering his voice, conspiratorially. “You wouldn’t happen to be...Liara T’Soni would you?”

“You know who she is?” Shepard looked at Nihlus.

“Tangentially.” He looked at her sideways. “I can explain once we get back to the Normandy.”

Liara spoke again, even more desperate-sounding. “I wouldn’t say I know how to work Prothean technology, but I do have an extensive history of exploring their ruins and I’ve learned to recognize certain symbols and patterns. But, please, you must get me out! I can answer your questions later, I promise!”

Shepard held up her hand, trying to calm the distressed doctor. “We’ll find some way to help you, Liara. But first, I need your help. I need to know who hired these mercs, if there are any more of them, and how this is all connected to the rogue Geth.”

“I don’t know who hired them; I don’t even know what they want with me!” Liara, still helmeted shook her head harder, breathing heavily. “I only saw these five and another five at the entrance to Icarus, and I don’t know anything about rogue Geth! Please, just get me out of here!”

“Alright, stay calm Liara, I believe you."  _ Well, I'll just have to wait to get some answers. Probably for the best; we don't have much time. _ "We’ll get you out, don’t worry.” 

“Thank you! Thank you so much! There’s a control in here, behind me, that should deactivate the whole structure. That’ll be faster than trying to brute-force the system to try and deactivate just this single security device.” Liara hung her head and seemed to breathe lighter. “I don’t know how you're going to get past the barrier though. So far, what we’ve managed to excavate of this structure leads to a dead-end, above  **and** below. As far as I know, this is the only entrance.”

Shepard thought for a moment before jerking her head back to the mining laser. “Come on, let's check on Tali.” Nihlus followed her back to the pair.

“Any ideas?” Nihlus pulled up his Omni-tool. “I don’t see any path through the cave system, and the scaffolding just loops back to the upper portion of the mine. She’s right. This is the only entrance I can see.”

Shepard gave him a grin and a wink. “Oh, I’ve got something.” She patted the mining laser as they walked by it. Nihlus chuckled and said something about a ‘little devil’.

Tali stood now, hands on her hips, proud. She turned to them with a huge smile emblazoned on her face. Nihlus and Shepard stopped, awed, as they admired the Quarian’s work. Tali helped 1183 to his feet. “Good as new! What do you think?”

The Geth looked down at his metal body, investigating the right portion of his chest, and his right arm. The arm was a slightly different shade of grey, with a shocking red double stripe down the length. On his shoulder, like a pauldron, dark grey ridges from the heat exhaust of the Avenger gave him a motley look. Below, his chest was a mottled grey and the white N7 letters emblazoned on his chest drew their attention, like a coat of arms. 

“We have reached consensus.” 1183 spoke, his voice the same modulated voice it was before.  _ He sounds... _ **_stronger_ ** _ now. Why is that? _

They stood, waiting for him to continue. He looked at Shepard, then Tali. “We have a name.”

Both Shepard and Tali took a step back, shocked.  _ I didn’t think he  _ **_wanted_ ** _ a name. He seemed pretty content just being called ‘he’. _

Nihlus grunted, though even he looked mildly surprised.

The Geth hesitated, twitching his head nervously. “‘My name is Legion, for we are many.’”

Shepard raised her eyebrows.  _ Is that... the Christian Bible? Odd choice...but who am I to judge? _ Beside her, Nihlus looked confused, and Tali looked like she was about to cry again, but this time from joy.

Clarifying, he continued. “From the Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We have reached consensus and acknowledge it as an appropriate metaphor.” He tapped the fragment of Shepard’s armor grafted to his own body. 

“It seems...appropriate.”  _ I guess. Another mystery for later. _ Shepard smiled at the Geth and held out her hand. “Well, Legion. Welcome, officially, to the team.”

Legion shook her hand then turned to Tali, who embraced him. He looked unsure at first, but then returned the hug, tender for a being made of metal. Shepard and Nihlus shared another glance, smiling at the sight. 

Finally, all too soon, Shepard was forced to break up the scene. She jerked her thumb behind her. “Tali, Legion, we need to get past that energy barrier. Do you think you can program the mining laser to burrow underneath and  **not** damage the Prothean structure?”

Tali nodded. “Should be easy enough to hack it; that’ll only take a minute. It’s the active volcano I’m worried about. We’ll have to install safety parameters so it doesn't burrow directly into a magma chamber and jumpstart a chain reaction.” The two glanced at the console on the side of the mining laser. “Give us...three minutes?”

“Perfect. Get to it. We’ve only a little bit longer until the Geth frigates show up, and we need to get in contact with Saren and the Normandy.”

The Quarian nodded, still ecstatic, and Legion started accessing the console. Shepard and Nihlus stood to the side. 

As the pair worked the laser, Nihlus consulted his Omni-tool. "Interesting." 

He turned to Shepard and she cocked her eyebrow. He moved closer to show her his Omni-tool. 

The red line, cutting through the map of the area, showed that the projected path to the source of the Prothean signal had been updated. According to Nihlus' new readings, directly beneath them and where the mining laser was pointed, was another sequence of caves, uniform in size and shape. The source of the signal seemed to lay directly above the end of the sequence of caves, exactly level with their and the trapped doctor’s position in the dig site. 

Shepard smirked at Nihlus. "Well, I'll be. Good work, Kryik. You found our source!"

"Yep. Maybe we'll finally get some answers." He looked at her and widened his mandibles in that cute smile of his. "I was starting to get tired of being in the dark."

"Well, we aren't out yet." Shepard looked around at the dim cavern. "But I'm starting to see the light." 

On cue, Tali called out that the mining laser was ready to fire, and was as safe as she could confirm it could be 'after the Krogan boshtets smacked it'. Shepard gave them a thumbs up and moved even further out of the way of the powerful laser. 

Like a second sun being ignited before them, the end of the mining laser's barrel lit up, a violent yellow-white that seared spots into Shepard's eyes. She blinked and looked away. The laser hummed, burning away layers of rock and dirt, tearing through tons of earth. For a handful of seconds, the only sound Shepard could hear was the laser drilling, and the only thing she could see behind her eyelids was the miniature, blazing, sun. Eventually, suddenly, it was quiet and dim again, the mining laser's pre-programmed parameters shutting it off when it burrowed deep enough. 

Smoke still hung around the point of contact, and the area smelled faintly of ozone. Shepard moved forward, behind Nihlus and Tali, while Legion took the rear.  _ Hopefully, we won't get into another fight. Going in with no chest piece is not my idea of a fair fight. _ Still, old habits die hard and the four of them hefted their weapons, ready for anything. 

The laser had bored down through the ground, forming a relatively smooth ramp that led into the sequence of caves. These caves, it turned out, weren’t naturally formed caves, but instead rooms, of the same Prothean structural design. They were empty and relatively free of dust. 

Nihlus whispered from the front of the group. “This must be the most recent portion to be excavated. It looks like behind us, behind where the laser burrowed down, was a collapsed portion of the structure. Based on the seismographic readings, it continues like that for quite a while.”

Tali whistled. “This dig site is  **huge** . Who knows what lost technologies will be found here? If we still did the Pilgrimages of old, this would be a wonderful chance to find a gift.”

“Yeah, this place is something. It could be as big as the Deseado Crater ruins back on Mars,” Shepard agreed, looking around as they made their way through. A room they passed through had several tables and crates lined against the wall. The excavation team’s tools and samples, most likely. “Liara mentioned a ‘we’ when she talked about the excavation. Where do you think the others are?”

Nihlus pulled up his Omni-tool and poked around, letting Tali take the lead momentarily. After a few seconds, he cursed, before glancing back at Shepard. “They were locals, hired from Nova Yekaterinburg. According to database transactions, they booked a shuttle flight back yesterday and were supposed to come back tomorrow.”

Shepard echoed the curse.  _ Damn these rogue Geth. And whoever is controlling them. Once we catch up to them, they’re going to have a  _ **_lot_ ** _ of blood on their hands. I’ll make sure they answer for each drop. _

Nihlus took back the lead, and eventually, they reached a curve in the structure, similar to the curve they saw on the level above, behind Liara. Instead of smaller, sectioned rooms, the structure morphed into a large singular room, echoing their footsteps back at them like a march of the dead. The same greyish-blue light suffused everything around them. At the end of this curved room, a pair of pillars acted as a doorway into the next portion. It was too dark to see much beyond the pillars. 

“Keep an eye open, people.” Shepard felt uneasy at not being able to see where they were headed to. “Nihlus, are we still on the path to the source?”

“Yep.” He waved his Omni-tool and flashed the projection. “Another twenty meters northwest, give or take, and about eight meters up.”

“Don’t you mean, yes ma’am?” Tali whispered and Shepard stumbled.  _ Dear God, you  _ **_too_ ** _ Tali? _

“You’re right. Good catch,” Nihlus chuckled.

Shepard blushed, glad the two were in front of her and not looking back.  _ At least Legion wouldn’t give me shit about it.  _ She glanced back at him and saw the fan around his eyes wiggle.  _ That better not be a Geth version of a laugh.  _ She turned back around and rolled her eyes.

As they came closer, the darkness beyond the pillars suddenly faded, transitioning into a dimly lit chamber, with the same omnipresent blue tinge. The room expanded beyond the two-meter-wide doorway presented by the pillars, giving it an expansive feel. In the middle of the room, framed perfectly by the pillars, was a smaller structure, similar to the console they saw behind Liara, except it only had a single-section panel and there were no holographic displays. 

Shepard waved her hands, directing Tali and Legion to behind the left pillar, and her and Nihlus to the right. Quietly, half-crouched, they split up and jogged to their places. Shepard nodded at Tali, and she took out her drone again. It showed on each of their HUDs the room, roughly five or six meters wide, and perfectly circular. There were no other doors or passageways branching off, and there was no ceiling in sight. Instead, a dim shaft continued up.  _ Looks like a Prothean elevator. Wonder if it's faster than ours, or if the tech just hasn’t improved much in fifty thousand years. _

A few seconds later, sure there were no surprises, they shuffled in, crowding around the console. As soon as they approached, it lit up, the holographic displays flickering on. There were dozens of strange, unreadable symbols and patterns scrawled across the panel. While Tali and Nihlus debated how they should test what the controls were, Shepard focused on one of the symbols, and like a flash of a memory that wasn’t hers, she could understand it’s meaning. 

“Hold on. Wait.” She held up a hand, catching their attention. She stayed focused on the console and pointed at the symbol she had deciphered. “This one; it's a number. I think it represents a level of the structure.”

The two aliens were silent, looking back and forth at each other. Shepard ignored them, mentally marking the symbol she pointed at, then looked at another. This one was somewhat similar, it had the same sweeping curves on the top and bottom, but an extra several lines on the side. It was positioned directly below the first one, and it had a faint shimmer to it. She pointed at this one now. 

“This is the level we’re on. It's the third level, the one above is the second.” She moved her hand up, tracing what she told them. “Which means this one is the level we need to get to.” 

Legion stepped up and twitched his head, observing the symbols Shepard pointed at. “We have reached consensus. There is a seventy-three point nine-two percent chance that Shepard-Commander was imparted some knowledge of the Prothean language from the Beacon found on Eden Prime.”

“Huh. Cool.” Tali grinned through her opaque mask. “So what's the other twenty-six percent?”

“Shepard-Commander has immediate and undetectable access to a considerable amount of extranet data, akin to approximately five percent of the Consensus’ total processing power.”

“You know, I see why you reached the conclusion you did.” Tali gave an exaggerated thoughtful pose.

“It’s starting to look like that Beacon  **was** the real deal.” Nihlus grinned, whistling through his mandibles. “It really did put something in your guys’ brains, after all.”

“Yeah, but what exactly?” Shepard grimaced, before turning her attention back to the console. “Well, it looks like I was mostly right. This structure is huge if this lift is anything to go by. It’s got as many levels as a smaller-end Alliance cruiser. We’ll definitely have to add it to the list of places to come back to, once this shit-show is dealt with.”

“Agreed,  **ma’am** .” Nihlus winked at her and moved away from the console. “Alright, boys and girls. Step away from the console, Professor Shepard is going to show us how to activate the ancient Prothean elevator.”

Shepard tried to look sternly at the Turian, but failed miserably. She settled for half-sullen and half-bemused, and pressed her finger to the symbol above the shimmering one.  _ If I’m right, this will take us to Liara’s level. And the source of this Prothean signal. Here goes...well, everything, I guess. _

As soon as she touched it, the symbol started pulsing, and the floor rumbled. The walls started moving, sliding down rapidly, and Shepard bent her knees reflexively.  _ No, wait. We’re going  _ **_up_ ** _!  _ Again, she stifled any pride and readied her pistol. There was still room for the mission to get FUBAR. She glanced down at her armor-less chest and stomach.  _ More than it already has. _

A few seconds later, the floor settled, and the dim chamber brightened significantly. Behind them, a more pronounced blue-ish glow illuminated the lift. They turned as one, looking out into another large, curved room, continuing out of sight, like the one before. 

This one, however, contained several tables and crates, as well as raised slabs of the same Prothean-bricks. All but one raised portion was clear, and between some of the slabs, more single-panel consoles sat, all inactive. The glow itself seemed to originate from two sources: bright, fluorescent-looking fixtures on the ceiling, and the large, shimmering sphere nestled on top of the largest raised slab, just before the apex of the curve. 

The large sphere, the obvious draw of the room, beckoned them forward. Like a pool of silver-blue mercury, the surface of the object was without blemish. Like a mirror, it reflected the entire room, a reverse globe.

“Keelah.” Tali’s awe was palpable in all of them, as slowly, they exited the lift, the floor of which stayed where it had settled. “It’s big.”

“This sphere appears to be constructed from unknown materials.” Even Legion followed, reverent. Shepard could hear his fans shifting around his light, repositioning themselves constantly. “The diameter of the sphere is three point zero-four-eight meters across.”

“ **Real** big,” Tali amended.

“It’s...amazing.” Shepard felt herself drawn to the sphere, similar to when she first saw the Beacon on Eden Prime. “Nihlus, I’m assuming  **that** is the source?”

Nihlus was quiet for several seconds, like he had to convince himself to look at his Omni-tool. Finally, he answered, confused. “Actually, no. That console is.”

That was enough to shock Shepard from her reverie. She looked at Nihlus who was pointing at a console across the room from the sphere. Immediately after looking away, she no longer felt the significant draw of the sphere. Nihlus shared her look and she could tell he noticed it as well. 

“Tali, Legion, fan out and check the rest of the consoles. Let me know if one lights up when you get close, but don’t touch anything.” Shepard followed Nihlus to the console he pointed out, while behind her, Tali and Legion snapped out of their stupor and started checking the consoles throughout the room. 

Nihlus led her to the source, pulling up his Omni-tool to do some sort of monitoring. The console, embedded between two slabs, looked no different physically than the others, from what Shepard could see. However, as she got closer, she could see it was actually active. The holographic display was so dim in the almost harsh glow here, that she had missed it.  _ That sphere didn’t help. I’m glad that thing wasn’t out there with the Krogan.  _

“Okay, what can you tell me, Nihlus?” Shepard sidled up next to him in front of the console. When she approached, it brightened substantially and Nihlus’ Omni-tool flared with an onslaught of data. 

“Woah!” He peered at his Omni-tool closely. “Step back, Shepard.”

She complied, holding her hands up. “What did I do?”

“I’m not sure. When you stepped closer…it's like the signal…reacted.”

“Reacted how?”

“Like it...hold on.” He tapped a few more times on his Omni-tool, then swung to Shepard. “Come closer again.”

“Is it safe?”  _ I’m  _ **_not_ ** _ about to have a repeat of Eden Prime with Nihlus. _

“Yes, it should be.” Nihlus’ conviction was immediate. 

Shepard moved forward again, and once more, the console’s holographic display brightened and Nihlus’ Omni-tool flared. 

“By the Spirits!”

“What? Nihlus, we don’t have all day here!” Now, Shepard was annoyed, though she had to admit, the utter awe on Nihlus’ face was cute. 

“Sorry, it’s just...it's not every day you get to see a working piece of Prothean technology in action.”

Shepard sighed, “What ‘action’ is it doing? Can you tell what the signal’s purpose is?”

“Well, no. But - .” He held up a finger. “It’s reacting to you, and emitting another sub-signal, with all the trademarks of a query.”

“Are you saying the signal is trying to ask me something?” Shepard raised her eyebrow.  _ I’ll admit, the past week has been non-stop crazy, but that’s just a little too much for me to believe.  _

“Yes! Well, no. Kind of.” Nihlus took a deep breath. “It recognizes something about you, evidently as its sending a sub-signal as a query. But, from what my diagnostics can tell, it isn’t as advanced as a VI asking a user a clarifying question, for example. It's more simple than that.” 

“So what does this mean? Can we turn it off or not?”

“Well, yes we can turn it off, but this is pretty significant - .”

“Nihlus, believe me. I wish we could stay here and play 20 questions with this signal, but half of our team is out of contact, we have four rogue Geth frigates bearing down on us, and halfway across the planet, fifteen thousand people are being slaughtered by a Geth cruiser! My priorities are slightly more ‘big-picture’ than purely academic, right now.” 

Shepard took a deep breath, surprised at her own diatribe towards the mild-mannered Spectre. She met his eyes. For the first time, they seemed less than warm. “Look, I’m sorry we can’t stay longer. Truly. I know how important Prothean artifacts and technologies are, but this is  **not** our mission.”

Nihlus nodded. “You’re right. I got excited, that’s all.” He turned to the console, all business. “Now that we’re here, it looks like there is a sub-connection, almost hidden, between this console and the one down the hall. Whatever is powering the good doctor's security device is being cycled through this console.”

“So we can shut the whole system down from here, signal and security?”

Nihlus nodded. “I could figure it out if I was given enough time, but if you can help translate, it’ll go by much more quickly.”

Shepard nodded and stepped up. This console had fewer symbols than the lift’s, so she looked down and chose one to focus on. After a few seconds, another flash, another memory that wasn’t hers, and a single word.  _ ‘Distort’? I don't think that's it. _

She pointed it out to Nihlus and shook her head. She started on another symbol, and again within a few moments a single word.  _ ‘Escalate’? That's the opposite of what we want…‘Reduce’? Now we’re getting somewhere. How about this one?  _

Finally, after another couple of minutes of staring at the console, Shepard pointed at a symbol, sure it was the ‘power-off’ button. 

Nihlus, for once, was completely lost and shrugged. “Your guess...well, it’s much better than mine. It’s not really a guess, anyways.” 

Shepard returned the shrug and pushed the symbol. 

Immediately, several things happened in quick succession, dragging Shepard's attention like a flag in a violent wind. 

To the left, past the curve, an unmistakable hum reached a crescendo, before a brief cry sounded, announcing Liara’s swift meeting with the ground. At the same time, the blue glow all around them dimmed to a barely registerable level.

Behind, an audible gasp from Tali hit Shepard’s ears and she whipped around. The giant sphere was no longer giant and no longer nestled onto the slab. Instead, it was less than a meter across and silently, without an obvious source, floating in midair. 

Finally, Shepard’s comm crackled in her ear. 

“- you read? Jane! Do you - .” An explosion hit close enough to be audible and cut out Saren’s sudden shouts. Loud reports from various weapons and more explosions sounded, drawing everyone's eyes to each other, stunned by the sudden change in urgency.

“Garrus! Back to the Mako. Wrex, keep shooting! I think the comm’s working now!” Shepard’s heart leaped to her throat.  _ That’s the Mako’s accelerator cannon. Things must really be fucked if they’re using that. _

“Saren, report!” Shepard jerked her head to Nihlus. “Grab the doc, we’re getting the hell out of here, now! Tali, Legion, with me!”

Her team snapped to, Nihlus sprinting down the curved room, with Shepard following and the pair on her heels. 

“Finally, Jane! We realized too late the signal was interfering with our comms.” Another explosion sounded, followed by three quick shots from what sounded like Saren’s pistol. Saren’s voice, usually so collected, took on the air of a field marshal, shouting hurried commands. “Garrus, get on the big gun. Wrex, get up here and start prepping the Omni-gel! Woah - what the  **fuck** is that?”

She heard Wrex now, impossibly calm in the middle of what sounded like a warzone. “Not sure, but it's pretty big.” Another explosion sounded, close by. Wrex chuckled. “And it didn’t care much about that shot, did it Vakarian?”

_Shit shit_ ** _shit!_** Shepard reached the end of the structure, where Liara had been suspended. She did her best to ignore the pain starting to shoot up in her ribs. A few meters ahead, Nihlus led the doctor by the arm, speaking hurriedly with her. 

“Jane, I don’t know what you guys just did, but those frigates  **shot** into orbit. They’re on us and dropping - .” Another explosion cut him off, this one so large, the entire cavern shook.

Shepard pumped her legs, faster and faster. “Saren, can you hold position?”

The comm was silent.  _ No! This can’t be happening! _

By the time she and the pair caught up to Nihlus, he and the doctor had almost reached the eastern wall. Nihlus stood halfway in the small hole gesturing for Liara to go ahead, when a thunderous crack shook the cavern, knocking everyone off their feet. The eastern wall shook again, harder, reverberating. In slow motion, Shepard saw an enormous crack spider web out from the corner of the wall. Larger and larger rocks started to fall amongst them, crushing crates and tables alike. She screamed at Nihlus.

He was already moving, diving out of the quickly collapsing hole in the wall. He stopped long enough to lift Liara over his shoulder, tucking into a roll that took him all the way to where Shepard struggled to her feet. She helped steady him and pull the two to their feet. Nearby Legion and Tali helped each other stand as well. In front of them, like a waterfall of stone and dirt, the passage collapsed, spewing out loose rocks and dust. A moment passed. Around them the mountain shook, like an off-balance wheel, shaking itself loose. 

Nihlus called over the comm, outright worry overtaking his usual affable demeanor. “Saren, come in. Saren?” 

Shepard took advantage of the momentary quiet to focus on the doctor. “Liara. We need another exit.” She pointed behind them. “Do you know where the scaffolding goes?”

She dipped her head. “Yes. It leads to the upper portion of the mine. Its exit comes out about a quarter of the way up Daedalus.”

Shepard gave her a nod. “Okay, good. Tali, Legion, you’re up. Take the doctor. Nihlus and I will be right behind you.” She turned her full attention to the Turian, not even waiting to see their confirmation. “Nihlus, we need to get out of here. This place isn’t going to last much longer.”

He ignored her. “Come on, Saren! Come in! Answer me!”

Shepard moved in front of him, dominating his view. “Hey! This whole place is caving in! We need to go!” She grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to stare at her. “You can keep shouting at him on the comms, but do it while you’re running with me, okay?”

He looked at her, shock overtaking those calm eyes of his.  _ He really cares for Saren, doesn’t he?  _

Shepard continued, bracing her hands around his face, keeping his attention on her. “Keep trying to raise them. Tell them we’re headed for the upper entrance of the mine, about a quarter of the way up the mountain. I’ll call in Joker to meet us, okay?”

He barely nodded and continued shouting into the comm, but he followed her as she ran after the others. As she approached the scaffolding, Shepard switched her comm to the Normandy’s frequency. 

“Joker, do you read?” Shepard paused, waiting long enough for Nihlus to get in front of her, then she started climbing, gritting her teeth at her now fully inflamed ribs.

“Loud, but not quite clear, Commander! We tried raising you when we saw the frigates make a  **fucking** beeline for the dig site!”

“The Prothean signal was interfering, but we turned it off.” She puffed, feeling weak as she leaped and clutched to a piece of metal. She heaved herself up. “We need a hasty retreat. Get the Normandy here, now!”

“Aye aye, Commander. ETA, eight minutes.”

“Copy. We’ll be making for the upper entrance of the mine. Quick and hot dust-off.”  _ Don’t think about how you’ll pull  _ **_that_ ** _ off if the Mako is gone. “ _ Try and raise Saren. We’ve lost contact. Last we heard he and his team were engaged with numerous Geth forces.”

“ **Shit** . Okay, will do Commander. Be there soon.”

Shepard took a running leap, reaching above her for the metal grating. Above her, Legion circled back and helped her up. She nodded thanks at the Geth, then pointed forward, ushering them to keep moving. They were nearly at the top of the scaffolding, which opened into another wide cavern. 

Another rumble shook the mountain, and the scaffolding groaned. Below, in the cavern, rocks the size of boulders started falling from the walls and the ceiling. More crates and tables were crushed underneath them and the tents, no longer standing, shook like small ships left to fend for themselves in a violent tidal pool.

They moved forward, Nihlus periodically shouting in the comm. He reached the final jump first and leaped, pulling himself up. He immediately turned and helped Legion up. Together the two pulled Tali, Liara and finally Shepard up. Just as Shepard kicked off the metal of the scaffolding another monstrous shake rocked them. Nihlus pitched forward, losing his balance, barely managing to catch himself.

Shepard, one-handed, grasped Legion’s metal hand, and with the other pushed up on Nihlus shoulder, helping him back to the rock landing. Below, the scaffolding finally gave up, groaning and twisting in a horrendous cacophony of snapping metal. Nihlus met her gaze for a moment, above the rapidly growing abyss below them, as the cavern floor itself started crumbling. Orange highlights began to clash with the steadily dimming greyish-blue of the Prothean ruin as it started sinking into Mount Daedalus’ magma pools.

Tali and Liara rushed forward, adding their weight and pulling Shepard and Nihlus all the way up. The mountain around them started to rumble even harder, knocking dirt and rocks loose around them like a precursor to an avalanche. They ran through the open cavern for the raised portion across from them. Above, stalactites of various sizes started shifting, with a smaller one near the middle of the cavern falling down, spearing through a miraculously still-standing tent.

As they sprinted, Shepard shouted at Nihlus from the back of the line. “What the fuck caused this? Did the signal - ?” 

Suddenly, she was launched through the air by another explosion rocking the earth. Below, where she had just been running, the ground opened up like a mouth intending to swallow her. She landed, slamming heavily on the rocky ground, but managed to roll, springing up to her feet. She felt wet in her weave-layer, as blood started to pool past the foam. She gritted her teeth again and continued running, following her team up the ramp-like rise that led to the next cave. 

Nihlus waved everyone through at the entrance, following closely on Shepards heels. “I don’t know, but I don’t think this was the signal! It seems more like a natural response to outside forces!”

Ahead, Liara shouted back. “He’s right! The ruins were never that stable to begin with!” Another shake of the mountain spurred them on. “Whatever these Geth forces are throwing around up there must be upsetting the delicate balance of the volcano!”

Behind them, the ceiling of the cavern collapsed all at once, sending dust and fist-sized rocks billowing after them. Somehow, the mountain's rumbles became even more rapid and jarring, now constant. Above them, cracks started appearing in the cave’s ceiling. 

Liara continued shouting back. “These next caves lead all the way up to the entrance! It should eventually turn into a mining tunnel!”

Shepard bobbed her head, waving everyone forward, again taking up the rear.  _ It feels like we’re in a ship about to rattle apart!  _

From here, it was a straight shot, if on an incline. Strung out in groups of two, with Liara alone in the front, they raced through cave after cave, barely outrunning the constant downpour of rocks and dust. Behind them, chasing them like a ravenous thresher maw, the collapsing caves cried for their fresh bodies. Shepard could barely keep up with the ever-shifting ground, tripping every other stride on loose stones and the pitching of the ground.

Ahead, Tali stumbled, but in one giant tug, Legion picked her up and began to run fully, his metal limbs bearing the two of them through the mountain's barrage. Nihlus, next to her, continued shouting for Saren.  _ Come on, Saren! Answer the damn comm! _

Blessedly, ahead, Shepard saw the rough-hewn rock caves give way to manufactured, stable metal tunnels. While not entirely safe from a collapsing mountain or an erupting volcano, she knew they were designed with the survival of its inhabitants in mind and should hold long enough for them to get out. 

Liara reached it first and glanced back. Impossibly, she stopped and pointed. She shouted something, but it was lost in the crashing of heavy stone around Shepard and Nihlus. They glanced up and cried out as darkness rushed towards them, heralding the inevitable collapse of the mountain finally catching up to them. Futilely, Shepard continued to pump her legs, surprised to feel no sudden rush of pain from the tons of earth crashing down on her.

Suddenly, the darkness was pushed away, as cerulean blue surrounded them.  _ Biotics?! How the… _

“ **Hurry** ! I can’t hold it for long!” 

In front of them, arms lifted and ablaze with a biotic charge, Liara stood, like a dam against the waves of stone. As Shepard watched, she saw Liara’s biotics envelop her entire body, an intoxicating aura. Her biotics flared and formed a protective barrier between Shepard, Nihlus, Tali, and Legion, and the crushing weight of the collapsing mountain. Stones of all sizes crashed and crumbled against the biotic shield, straining against it like the cold death of space against the transparent safety of a viewport. 

Shepard recovered first, shouting at the rest to get a move on, and took up the rear. The other three darted past Liara, and turned back, but Shepard waved at them to continue. Beyond Liara, who was standing at the threshold of the tunnel and the collapsing cave, Shepard saw the constructed tunnel was holding, for the time being. She glanced up, nearing Liara. The barrier extended to directly above her, holding back a heavy boulder.  _ Shit! If she lets go when I pass, she’ll get crushed.  _

She looked directly at Liara and shouted, “Keep it up as long as you can!” 

Shepard tackled her, spearing Liara directly in the midsection, pushing with all her might. She felt an instant twinge of pain in her chest, jostled by the sudden impact. Immediately, Shepard dug in with her feet, lifting up and carrying Liara back into the tunnel. Behind, the biotic blue glow vanished and the crashing of hundreds of tons of loose earth filled her ears. She kept running, chasing after her team. She made it a few more meters before the intense pain drove her to the ground. 

She and Liara stumbled to a stop, skidding against the steep incline, both panting. Shepard heard the faint groaning of the metal around her. They were safe, but not for long. She clenched her teeth and got to her knees, unentangling herself from the doctor. 

Beside her, Liara climbed to her own knees, before Shepard was able to stand and hold a hand out for the doctor, who took it gladly. Together they stood, looking at each other.  _ Damn. That was impressive. Biotics like that, she's  _ **_got_ ** _ to be... _

Liara looked down and pressed the button on the side of her helmet, releasing its clamps. It folded back, into a small metal square that she tucked away, and she let out a heavy breath, then looked to Shepard again. Shepard, stunned, looked at a familiar face she had never met before; one she had recently seen in a vision, laying nude on a couch with her.  _ An Asari. _

The light blue skin of her face was dusted perfectly by dark spots below her eyes and around her nose, giving the appearance of freckles. Above her eyes, a pair of dark, straight markings, suggested eyebrows. These markings slashed perfectly through another dusting of mirrored, almost-white markings directly above her eyes and spreading up to her sweeping scalp-crests. Together, it gave her the look of a cresting ocean wave, powerful and beautiful and immeasurable. Her soft teal eyes gazed curiously at Shepard, while her blue lips twisted up into an innocent smile. 

“Thank you,” Her voice, no longer muffled by the helmet, was soft and pure, measured like an aristocrat. It lured Shepard, but to what or where, she didn't know. She suddenly wanted to find out, though. 

Shepard nodded, but before she could speak, the metal above them groaned even louder. Further into the tunnel, Nihlus shouted back at them. Another couple of dozen meters beyond the others, Shepard saw a natural sunlight, beckoning them to the outside. 

“Come on, Doctor. We’re almost out of here.” Shepard waved Liara forward, mind whirling, not unlike the mountain around them.

Not a moment too soon, the metal tunnel behind and around them started to crumple inwards, like a giant hand was squeezing a tube of paste. Shepard put her hand on Liara's back, helping push her forward, sprinting hot on the Asari's heels. The groaning around them grew louder, pushing the pair forward.  _ Come on, come on! Hold out just a little longer! _

Finally, the pair burst through the entrance, diving before a billowing cloud of dust and an avalanche of rocks. They landed past the open doorway, onto another set of scaffolding, which was little more than a ramp that led down. Below them, the ramp exited onto a relatively flat, square rise of ashy rock, about fifty meters or so across. It jutted out over the side of the mountain a couple of dozen meters, giving it the appearance and effect of a giant landing on a set of stairs, if the set of stairs was a kilometers tall, active volcano.

Nearby, Nihlus, Tali and Legion looked around in awe, as they witnessed the natural power of Mount Daedalus. Far above, thick plumes of smoke belched from the mountain’s peak, a giant hand clenching for the sky. Around them, accompanying the lessened, but still noticeable rumbles, a loud and omnipresent roar draped over them.  _ That sounds like...an engine? Several of them. I’m guessing those are the Geth frigates.  _

She waved her hands and together the five of them moved down the ramp, eyes on the sky and the surrounding plateau. She directed Tali and Legion to monitor their Omni-tools for any unwanted guests coming up to them, while she switched her comm back to the Normandy’s. Beside her, Nihlus needed no urging to continue to call for Saren. Liara stuck by Shepard’s side; she felt the Asari’s eyes, wide, on her midsection, alarmed at the heavy flow of blood pooling around her cracked ribs and soaking through the weave-layer.

“Joker, come in?”

“We read you, Commander - clearer this time too. Did you make it out of the volcano?”

“Affirmative. We’re on a plateau that should work for a pick-up. Lock onto my signal for guidance.”

“Aye aye, Commander! Got the coordinates. We’ll be there in four minutes.”

“Copy.” She glanced over to Nihlus, worry still sprawled across his face. “Any word from Saren?”

Joker hesitated a moment. “Not exactly. But we  **did** find them.” Her Omni-tool pinged as Joker sent a set of coordinates. “We picked up a lot of activity at the entrance to Icarus. Our long-range scanners picked them up in a heavy-fire slug-fest with some of our metal friends. They’re on their way to you. I'm not sure why they suddenly got shy with the comms.”

Shepard watched the coordinates change, slowly ticking towards them. From  **up** the mountainside.  _ What the fuck? Are they driving off-path?  _ There was only a singular path to the plateau they were on, which came from the bottom of the mountain, bored through the volcanic stone. There was no path from their location to the top of the mountain that she could see; just a solid rock wall that acted as a buffer. 

_ Crazy fuckers.  _ “Good work, Joker. See you in four.” Shepard turned to Nihlus and forwarded the location to him. “Got them. They must be having difficulties with their comms, but they’re coming.”

Nihlus’ shoulders visibly relaxed and he closed his eyes momentarily. “By the Spirits. By the  **fucking** Spirits!”

“The good news doesn’t end there, though,” Shepard turned, shouting for Tali and Legion. They made their way over, glancing about. The roaring sound was getting louder, the closer Shepard saw Saren’s coordinates come to them. She could tell everyone else had picked up on it.

“Okay, Saren and his team took the scenic route to us.” She pointed up the mountain, lining up where she saw their coordinates. A little less than a click away, a small white and black shape flew over a steep incline and barreled down the mountain. The accelerator cannon on the back swiveled, firing behind it at an unknown target. “They’ve got some company hot on their tails and the Normandy will be here in a couple of minutes. Here's the plan. 

“We’re going to hunker down on top of the ramp, making sure nothing can sneak up to us. It’s as good a corner as we’re going to get up here. Once the Mako arrives, we’ll pile in, back it up underneath the ramp, and sit tight until the Normandy gets here.” She pointed across the plateau, where there was nothing but open sky. “We’ll gun it, use our thrusters, and intercept the Normandy. Got it?”

The team nodded, even Liara, who for the most part looked lost in the midst of this sudden warzone she found herself in. Shepard waved everyone up to the top of the ramp, taking up a front position with Nihlus. Behind, tucked as close as they felt comfortable, Tali and Legion flanked the crouching Liara against the rumbling mountain. Legion confirmed that the mountain was close to erupting, but there was a low chance it would do so in the next few hours.

Nihlus put his hand on her shoulder, gently. “You good?” He glanced down at her bleeding midsection, his voice quiet and concerned.  _ I’m breathing heavier now. He notices.  _

She nodded at him. “As long as one of the Duke boys up there doesn't flip the Mako.” She grinned at him, not surprised in the least at his confusion towards the reference. It was starting to hurt to talk so she clamped her mouth shut.

“Another ‘human expression’?” Nihlus’ eyes twinkled at her.

“Yeah. You can say that.” She looked fully at Nihlus. “I’m good. We’re almost out of here, I can manage.”

“You constantly prove yourself to be one sharp talon, Shepard.” He chuckled, moving his gaze up the mountain to the rapidly approaching Mako. The roar of the Geth frigates still encompassed them, but they were still out of sight. “It makes me wonder how you find yourself without a partner.”

Shepard blinked.  _ How does he know? Am I that obvious?  _ She glanced at him, blushing despite herself.

“‘Partner’? You mean like you and Saren? Or Tali and Legion?” _ Also, regarding the current circumstances, I was  _ **_not_ ** _ expecting this to come up. _

“Are the two so different?” 

_ That makes sense…I can’t say I’m surprised. Turians are known to be pretty open and...fluid.  _ She searched his eyes, looking for the right thing to say. “I guess the timing hasn’t worked out. I’ve been busy.”

“I can imagine.” Nihlus quieted himself, focusing fully on their surroundings.

The accelerator cannon echoed close by, drawing her attention from Nihlus. The Mako, its own engine roaring, flew off another edge, much closer now. At a quick judgment, Shepard guessed a dozen more seconds. Behind the Mako, she saw a deathly-grey shape, faintly insectoid, rising over the mountain, scored with several pockmarks. 

She turned halfway to her team. “Alright, everyone, get ready to get down the ramp. Stay in cover as long as possible. We’ll have only a minute or two until that frigates on us.”  _ This is going to be a close one.  _ She looked up to the sky, searching for the black dot that would herald the approach of the Normandy.

Her search was interrupted by another shot from the accelerator cannon, loud enough to pierce through the constant roar of the Geth frigates. The Mako launched itself off a final ledge, soaring over the buffer-wall, and through the air in front of them, skidding against the plateau on its enormous wheels. It slammed into the side of the mountain, ricocheting off and finally settling to a stop a few meters from the bottom of the ramp. 

Shepard waved the group down, keeping an eye on the sky. Several clicks away, the Geth frigate roared towards them. Shepard could see no visible build-up of energy from a weapons system, but didn’t let herself relax yet.  _ It posed enough of a threat to chase Saren around the mountain. I won't be caught off-guard this close to the end. _

Below, the side hatch of the Mako opened, and a harried Saren popped his head out. “Come on! That frigate will be on us soon!” He gave a cursory glance at Liara, a quick sparkle of recognition, but said nothing. He hopped out and strode forward to Shepard and Nihlus, while Tali and Legion piled in. 

“Are you two alright?” He looked Nihlus and Shepard up and down, taking note of both of their obvious wounds, looking slightly worried. 

“We’re good. We just took a few unlucky bumps.” Nihlus clapped his hand on Saren’s shoulder, turning him around to the Mako. 

Nihlus’ grin seemed to ease some of Saren’s concern, but the blue-eyed Turian still glanced at Shepard with squinted eyes. She gave him a wink and a smile, hoping to mask the wince of pain as her chest-pain started to increase.  _ It's like my body knows we’re almost out of here.  _ Saren turned back to Nihlus.

“You underestimated the Battlemaster, didn’t you?” His voice was sarcastic, but his hand on Nihlus’ shoulder was genuine. “One of these days, you’re going to really get it.”

The three made it to the Mako, with Saren helping Nihlus in. He turned back to Shepard and shook his head conspiratorially. “I keep telling him those things are monsters and not to be trifled with.”

“You should’ve told  **me** !” Shepard pushed him in and followed. 

“Welcome back, guys!” Garrus, underneath the mass accelerator cannon, gave Shepard an acknowledging mandible shake, “Did I miss the armor-swapping memo? Also, it looks like you missed a spot on 1183.”

Legion shone his light back, stating as matter of factly as only he could, “We have chosen the name Legion. Please refrain from using incorrect identification, as such usage is likely to cause confusion amongst the team in dire circumstances.”

Saren chuckled at Garrus' look of surprise, and split off, sitting in the back by Nihlus and Liara. Shepard turned to the front and stopped, mouth open. Behind the driving console, Wrex sat looking back at Shepard, grinning, not unlike a child who was just given the toy they wanted. Shepard’s clamped her jaw shut and flung back to Saren. 

“You let  **Wrex** drive?” Shepard waved the Krogan out of the way and he pushed to the back, to his old seat. 

Saren looked up at her, smirking slightly. “It was either that or give the Geth a shiny new vehicle.”

“I treated the girl just right, don’t you worry, Shepard.” Wrex piped up, settling into the machine gun seat next to Garrus and grinned again. “Besides, it's not that different from the Tomkahs back on Tuchanka.” 

“You keep saying that Wrex and it makes me never want to go joy-riding on Tuchanka. Ever.” Garrus smirked, enjoying the spat. 

“Pyjak-wings, you wouldn’t last a minute joy-riding on Tuchanka.” Wrex turned his attention back to Shepard, while she climbed over Tali. “It’s a little smaller than what I’m used to, Shepard, but sometimes, ‘smaller’ is just fine with me.”

Tali giggled and Shepard elected to ignore that comment, though again her mind dredged up parts of her vision.  _ Great. First, my body betrays me and now my mind is too. Can we please just focus on the literal flying death-bot coming our way? _ She looked back at Garrus, catching his eye.

“Did you put my big gun to good use?” Shepard started toggling a few settings, glancing back at the smart-mouthed Turian, pointedly  **not** looking at Wrex. She adjusted the eezo core to be heavier, the better to gain traction on the flat plateau.

“Oh yeah. Racked up a few dozen kills on some foot soldiers and even a few new, tank-types the frigates dropped. I also landed a few hits on one of the frigates, but their hull is pretty thick. We could shoot it all damn day and I doubt it’d crack open.”

“Good to know, thanks. Hold on everyone” Shepard wrenched the Mako around, backing it underneath the ramp, perpendicular to the side of Daedalus. She let out a breath and filled Saren, Garrus, and Wrex in on her plan. She added on at the end. “As soon as this frigate is in range, open fire on it. It’s going to see us regardless, but maybe we’ll get lucky before it gets too close.” 

“Copy, Shepard.” Garrus gave a quick salute, and the other two nodded. “Thankfully, its weapon system is easy enough to dodge; even Wrex could handle it. Their range seems to be short for a ship their size; maybe half a click.”

Saren spoke up, “I don’t think it has any more of those tank-types, either. Each frigate dropped a handful as soon as they swarmed us. It got a little side-ways, so we got the hell out of there.”

“Did they jam your comms?” Tali looked back now, eyes squinting through her mask. “Nihlus shouted himself hoarse trying to get in contact with you.”

Saren nudged his partner, who seemed to be enjoying the relaxed waiting. “Oh no, we could answer, but I like hearing the worry in his voice; it reminds me I’m still wanted.”

Nihlus grumbled, “I was worried about the Mako. How were we going to get out of here without the horrifying, metal, death-trap the humans like to use?”

“You mean wonderful, metal, death-dealer the humans copied from us, right?” Wrex laughed at his own joke and Nihlus raised his hands in defeat. 

The inside of the Mako quieted, as the team waited, apprehensive, for the Geth frigate to arrive. Shepard kept a close eye on the horizon for the Normandy, though she knew that Legion would spot it on the sensors before she saw it with her own eyes. Sure enough, Legion announced the Normandy’s arrival in the atmosphere. He forwarded an ETA countdown to each of their Omni-tools.

_ Sixty seconds. Come on, Joker. _

The elation at the Normandy’s coming arrival was short-lived, however, as even in the Mako, the roar of the Geth frigates' engines resonated in the confined space. In response, Garrus started firing the cannon. He shouted between blasts, “We’ll be in range of its weapons in fifteen seconds!”

“Copy that.” Shepard slowly started lowering the weight of the eezo core, feathering the throttle. The wheels started spinning, grinding against the stone below, but were unable to gain enough traction to overwhelm the brakes. “Legion, let me know when you detect its buildup.”

“Affirmative.” 

The Mako bucked, wheels fighting to carry the large vehicle forward. 

Finally, “Shepard-Commander, we have detected a build-up - .”

Shepard didn't wait for the rest. She dropped the eezo core back to the heaviest setting, released the brakes, and the Mako shot forward in response, bouncing slightly. She wrenched her arms, the Mako following her movement and shifting direction; whereas before, they faced the open air, now they faced the rock buffer-wall. A bright, white-blue globule of superheated plasma flew nearby, smashing into the stone, directly where the Mako was a moment earlier. 

Shepard slammed her arms in the opposite direction, and the Mako turned, skidding and rocking against the wall. She gunned the throttle again, shooting for the open air. She jerked her arms again, leading the Mako in another sharp turn.  _ Damn, this plateau looks a lot bigger on foot than in the Mako. We barely have room for a simple loop.  _ The Mako’s back wheels slipped off the edge, but Shepard cranked the back thrusters just enough to keep the vehicle level until the back wheels were pulled back onto the plateau. Behind, another flash of plasma rocketed through the air, missing them by several meters. 

Shepard checked the time.  _ Forty-five. Damn it! _ Several dozen meters above, the frigate swept into view, taking up a post directly above them. Halfway down the length, another burst of plasma shot out, slamming into the ground behind the Mako. She continued the loop, doing her best to stay ahead of the frigate’s shots.

Every few seconds another blast of plasma rained down around them, while Garrus and Wrex returned fire into the ship's belly. Unsurprisingly, the frigate managed to land a shot after Shepard completed her second loop, correctly guessing their path. The Mako shook, rattling like the caves inside the volcano below them. Shepard gritted her teeth, wrenching her arms to keep the vehicle moving. 

To her side, Tali initiated the self-repair protocol, shouting out, “That’s all of our Omni-gel!” In another two loops, it finished, and luckily, the Mako avoided another shot. “We can take another hit, then our shields are down for good! I  **don’t** want to find out if this thing can withstand a direct hit!”

The Geth frigate overhead roared, a giant, metal version of its visage.

_ Thirty! Come on, Joker! _

As if answering her silent pleas, Legion calmly reported, “Shepard-Commander, the Normandy has achieved a firing solution on the Geth frigate and Pilot-Moreau wishes to advise us against any ‘sudden moves’ along his accelerator’s trajectory.”

Shepard was too busy to toggle her comm, so she settled for Legion. “Tell him to fire the fucking thing already!” 

The Mako skidded, completing another loop and bumping into the buffer-wall again. The frigate pounced, firing another shot. This one slammed into the top of the Mako, its shield sputtering out and slamming them all downward. Shepard was flattened in her seat and she felt another resounding  **crack** from her ribs. She nearly passed out, but another loud explosion kept her attention. 

Above them, the frigate spiraled away in two pieces, sparking and spitting smoke. The ground shook even harder as the slug fired from the Normandy’s mass accelerator punched clean through the mountainside, disappearing several hundred meters into the rock. As if angry, the mountain rumbled even harder, shaking them all inside the Mako. 

Above, the Normandy slid into view, sidling up to the edge of the plateau and lowering it’s bay doors. Behind her, the team gave a collective sigh of relief, but Shepard didn’t join in. Not only were there three more frigates buzzing around the volcano, but a cruiser was currently demolishing a settlement of fifteen thousand civilians. She spared a look down at her midsection, grimacing at the blood soaking through her Medi-gel foam. 

She gritted her teeth, pulled her arms around, and lined the Mako up to the bay door.  _ Almost there. Hold on, just a little longer.  _ Shepard managed to guide the Mako into the Garage, while her team talked amongst themselves. She was dimly aware of Garrus introducing himself to Liara and Wrex dismissing her as ‘just another blue one’. Once the Mako was in and settled into its spot, Shepard opened the comms to the bridge. 

“Joker, we’re in. Get us out of the planet's atmosphere. Go stealth and take us to the other side of its moon.”

“Aye aye, Commander. Stealth is re-engaged. The frigates seem to be keeping their distance.”

“Good, keep me apprised.” 

The rest of the team started piling out, leaving Shepard in last. She slowly climbed out, wincing. Finally, she allowed herself to relax, if but a small amount. She looked at her team, half of them exhausted and wounded, but they were all there. Shepard allowed herself a small smile before everything dived back into hell. 

Joker screamed into the intercom, everyone's attention dragged away from their conversation. “Commander! New contact! It just appeared out of nowhere mid-system and pulled a  **crazy** fucking maneuver! It’s coming right for us!”

Saren, supporting Nihlus with one arm, stopped and turned to the wall, staring blankly into the distance. He dropped to his knees. Nihlus noticed and he turned to his partner. 

Shepard felt something, deep in her mind, struggle against something she didn't understand. She needed to scream. She collapsed to her hands and knees as well. Her fight or flight response kicked in. 

“Joker!” She gasped, struggling to get air to her lungs. “Get us out of the system! Now!”

“Destination, Commander?” Even Joker sounded worried, unable to even muster a curse. 

Shepard felt like her mind was being split in two. She breathed in and immediately coughed. She heard someone rush to her side, but could only see the dark red on the metal grates below her. Blood. “Far side of the system! Stealth immediately!”

She felt the ship shudder slightly, as they left the atmosphere. Then again as Joker jumped them to the edge of the Knossos system. Immediately, she felt her mind clear, and instead of mental pain and stress, she felt her chest spike. She gasped and coughed up more blood. Her ribs creaked and her lungs were burning. 

She staggered to her feet, pushing away Tali and Liara. 

“I’m fine.” She waved them away and moved to the elevator.  _ I need to get to the bridge. _ She looked to the side and saw Saren still on his knees, staring blankly through Nihlus who tried to get his attention. She pointed at Saren. “Get him to Chakwas.”

She slammed the button in the elevator and turned. The door closed slowly, as her team watched her in a mix of horror and confusion. She looked down and saw blood flowing freely from her midsection, pooling on the elevator’s floor.  _ Fuck. _

* * *

Thirty seconds later, Shepard staggered through the CIC and down the neck of the Normandy, ignoring the shocked faces of the crew. Behind her, bloody handprints marked her passage up the curved staircase from the elevator. She fell to her knees by the airlock, another spasm of pain wracking her lungs, ribs, and chest. Her mouth was coated with blood. 

The murmuring of the crew alerted Joker and Pressly to her presence, and the pair turned with wide eyes. Pressly rushed to her side and helped lift her. He started to call for Chakwas to come to the bridge. 

Joker’s surprise melted into an understanding look and he gave her a curt nod. “Set her down in the weapons chair, Pressly. She won’t leave.” 

Shepard and Pressly limped over to the chair in front of the weapons console, the latter helping the former down as gingerly as he could. Shepard managed to choke out, “Sensors.”

Joker obliged, for once not spouting off his asinine sarcasm. A holographic visual of the long-range sensors showed the inner Knossos system. Coasting at incredible sub-FTL speeds, an unknown contact entered Therum’s atmosphere, directly above Mount Daedalus. Joker pressed a few buttons on his console and a secondary display showed a profile make-up of the contact. 

“Holy fuck.” The pilot looked at her. “How did you know?”

Shepard couldn’t answer. She stared, disbelieving, as the contact, an exact match for the Ship from Eden Prime, settled a few clicks over the active volcano. The sensor’s alarms sounded, highlighting an enormous buildup of energy from the Ship. 

“What the hell is it doing?” Even Pressly’s attention was focused on the holo-visual.

“Charging.” Shepard spat out a glob of blood, coughing.  _ I need to stop talking. _

A moment later, the sensor’s display showed another visual, a circular bar spinning rapidly. Joker gasped, “Holy  **fuck** ! That’s impossible.” He and Pressly shared a look. “The yield of this thing’s weapon...it’s gotta be at least ten times more powerful than the Everest’s!” 

As soon as the statement settled on them like a thick blanket, the build-up of energy released. The sensor’s visual momentarily dissolved into static, but came back a moment later. 

Mount Daedalus lay sundered, a smoldering crater smashed into the side of the volcano and a sickening amount of magma pouring from the wound. 

The Ship wasn’t done.

It sped through the atmosphere, rounding Therum’s horizon and positioned itself above Nova Yekaterinburg. It began charging again. 

“Fuck, no!” Joker sat forward in his seat, then turned to Shepard. “Commander -.”

She could only shake her head.  _ I’m going to be sick. This Ship...whoever is controlling it has the single most powerful piece of technology in the known galaxy. And they’re sending a message. _

On the holo-visual before them, fifteen thousand civilians were burned to dust in an instant.

Joker and Pressly each cursed, shaking their heads. Behind her, she heard Doctor Chakwas run down the neck of the Normandy, shouting her name. Shepard stared at the screen, at the grave of Nova Yekaterinburg. 

“Get us out of here, Joker.” Shepard closed her eyes.  _ Message received. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh BOY! That was a close one for Shep and crew. 
> 
> 1\. A lot of energetic, blood-pumping synth and electronic mixes helped me write this chapter, interspersed with We Came As Romans again. I wrote both Ch. 4 & 5 in one go, so there was a lot of blurring between the two with their soundtracks.   
> 2\. We finally, FINALLY meet Liara - officially, at least! Whenever I play through ME1, I always consider the moment when you have the full squad assembled, as the moment the game really kicks off and this grand journey starts in full. Similar vibes with this AU, I hope. I can't wait to write Liara, she's probably my favorite character, and I have some fun ideas on how she would interact with this AU's Normandy crew. :)  
> 3\. Damn, Shep NEEDS to get laid, and soon! She's gonna blow a gasket at this rate! Chapter 6 is looking to filling up with "plot" ;D  
> 4\. Wait, whats the Sphere from Eletania doing here? :) Secrets...Prothean Secrets! Don't think I forgot about the mysterious Prothean signal either!   
> 5\. I wanted to showcase (to Shepard and her crew, we already know how deadly they are) the absolute strength and advantage the Ship has, so having it jump in was a fun way to end the chapter. They may have completed their objectives, but they definitely lost Therum.


	6. Ch. 6 - Outbound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and crew recover from their harrowing encounters on Therum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, hi, hello, I'm still here. 
> 
> So it's been...a few months since I've updated (wait, what year is it?! FUCK). 
> 
> I apologize. Things in real life happen and sometimes you have to focus your attention on other things, even if they aren't as fun as fanfiction. Anyway, since I - hopefully - have your attention, I think some housekeeping is in order. 
> 
> When I first started outlining Trials, I wanted to write this quick, sexy, smutty AU, with a narrative structure akin to the old time serials. But as the Outline kept getting longer and longer and as the story and themes in my head started getting grander and grander, it soon became clear that my original intentions weren't matching up with what my head and heart desired from this story. 
> 
> This AU has become something different and MORE than just a piece of erotic smut (not that there is anything at all wrong with those pieces. Hell I technically have those to thank for inspiring Trials). I want to explore these characters and the depths of their emotion, elation and pain. I want to pick them apart, put them back together and compare. I want to tell the world a story that's worthy of the Mass Effect name. 
> 
> All that said, to say this: I've changed the tags to reflect these changes. I apologize for those who started reading or were sticking it out for that creamy, creamy smut. However, those who are looking for that, stick around for the end, I'll have a special announcement for you. :)
> 
> So, what does this mean exactly? Well, it means I'll probably still be slow to update, as I'm going to be pouring even more care and attention into this AU. Speaking of this AU, it's not changing. My Authors Notes speaking of the changes in the Mass Effect universe that caused it to develop the way shown in the writing is still accurate. Sex isnt going to suddenly be a forbidden taboo between degenerates or a pure blessing reserved for those devoted lovers. No, in this AU, it's still as essential to society as shooting the shit with your neighbor or watching the evening news with your SO. 
> 
> So, yeah. Still gonna have plenty of big tits and thick dick. But, on that note, those tits and dicks will mean something in the grander view of the story. The sex scenes (of which i think will still be plenty) will be built to, will have developement of the story and/or characters. They'll be important. Or sometimes they'll be purely sexposition, a la that scene in GoT. Who knows? ;)
> 
> Now, another announcement, assuming you are still with me, you'll probably notice I uploaded another piece called Operation: Heracles! Several, several months ago, I saw a post on reddit asking if there was any fics with Kaidan and Ashley specifically. At the time, I had no plans for using either of these two in Trials (hell, I was originally planning on killing them off on Eden Prime!), but I started thinking about it...and the plan for O:H came about pretty organically. So...yay! More writing and fics! 
> 
> I'll be pushing for a more fast-paced, quick narrative with O:H, like a mini-series. A lot less proofreading, revisioning, and editing will go into, but that's not to say it’ll be of lower quality - just not as much time and energy will go into it. It'll have slight crossover with Trials and it does, I’ll make sure to add a little blurb in the top Author’s Notes about up to which chapter of Trials its recommended to have read to. Also, currently, I dont plan on really any sex scenes or the like to be in O:H, but who knows? I’ll be pushing myself to go for a more “gardner writing” aspect with Operation: Heracles.
> 
> Now, remember when I said I'd have an announcement for those who only came for that sweet, sweet smut? In my original outline, I had a couple pages of gratuitous, glorious sex, there only because I was being naughty ;). I'll be writing and releasing these as one shots. Alternate takes. "Alone-time" material. Y'know. The usual. 
> 
> These smut-shots, as I call them (trademark pending?), along with the new spin-off of Operation Heracles, and several other FanFiction projects I'm working on (here's some clues, in the form of their working titles in my notes: Pirate Effect, ME-KOTOR Crossover, The Forsaken Prince - ATLA AU), means you'll hopefully be seeing a lot more of my stuff. 
> 
> Ok. Closing remarks time….don't screw it up...ummm. 
> 
> Remember. 
> 
> I'm not dead like the Protheans, I'm only asleep like the Reapers. 
> 
> Nailed it. 
> 
> Til next time :)

_ “Arcturus Command, this is SSV Normandy, requesting a direct line to Admiral Hackett.” _

_ “This is Hackett. What's the situation?” _

_ “Admiral, it's Arterius.” _

_ “Spectre. To what do I owe this pleasure?”  _

_ “Therum has been attacked.” _

_ “I see. I assume the Council has already been briefed.”  _

_ “They have. I just made my report.” _

_ “Any casualties?” _

_ “The Commander and Nihlus took some nasty bumps, but they'll bounce back. They are being tended to by the ship’s doctor.”  _

_ “Was it the same situation as Eden Prime?” _

_ “Worse, Admiral. I won’t say much in case...unsavory types are listening, but I’m forwarding relevant data packaging and radar telemetry. The entire settlement shown on your screen has been leveled.”  _

_ “Damn. Survivors?”  _

_ “Unknown. We had to bug out...but it's extremely unlikely. The blast radius…” _

_ “I see.” _

_ “That’s not all. The western mountain ranges have been similarly destroyed. The planet's decline has been accelerated. Therum will be lucky to have five years, not five hundred.” _

_ “Damn it. Is it safe to start evacuating the rest of the settlements planet-side?” _

_ “I don't know. It wouldn't hurt to send in a small team to the edge of the system. Just tell them to be ready to jump out the moment that Ship does anything. The way it moves...it's unbelievable.” _

_ “Noted, Spectre.” _

_ “Anyway, we'll be there soon, Admiral. We have some...requisitions that need to be fulfilled. She demanded I call you and tell you right away.” _

_ “She'll do that. We appreciate the heads up. Fly safe, and Godspeed, Spectre.” _

\- Leaked transmission between Spectre Saren Arterius and Alliance Admiral Steven Hackett. This transmission, along with several hundred others, was salvaged from a partially destroyed, unidentified ship’s database on the planet Hagalaz, sometime in the 2180’s. 

The hiss of hydraulics heralded a flash of steam, like a cheap magic trick. The door slid up, showing them a stretch of sterile steel corridor continuing straight for nearly a hundred meters. Crowded, even at its dozen-meter width, various Alliance military and political personnel went about their duties. Ensigns traded orders for salutes; Parliamentary Interns scurried to deliver messages. 

_ That isn’t cheap or a trick. Arcturus  _ **_is_ ** _ the Systems Alliance. It never ceases to amaze. _

Jane looked left and right at her team, freshly forged on Therum. “Everyone, welcome to Arcturus.” 

She stepped forward, trying to minimize movement in her waist; her ribs were only recently reset, and Chakwas had warned that extraneous activity over the next day could reopen the fractures. Fortunately, she had no armor to tempt her into a fight, and for the last thirty-six hours, she had been confined to a set of casual officer’s clothes. 

To her right, Tali, Legion, and Liara tread carefully, tactfully keeping their gazes forward, matching Jane’s measured pace. The Quarian and Asari now wore their ‘formal attire’. For Tali, this was a lavender, skin-tight suit of various fabrics and shades, adorned with an intricate silver hood, rather than her typical yellow. Liara had borrowed one of Ensign Lowe’s casual Systems Alliance clothing sets. Although it was meant to be a more relaxed fit, on the Asari, it fit tight, accentuating her curves, almost absurdly. 

_ We’ll need to get her replacements. She lost everything on Therum.  _

Jane tore her eyes away, shifting her attention left. Saren, Nihlus, Wrex, and Garrus, still in their armor, prowled. They returned confused looks and aggressive stares with confident smirks and mild gestures towards their holstered weapons. To many of the career Systems Alliance personnel, having aliens on-board their station was an oddity. To a few, it was an insult. However, with Commander Jane Shepard present - and escorting them - it was an honor. 

“Remember, we’re guests here.” Jane rolled her eyes and brushed an elbow against Saren, drawing his eyes. Fortunately, both for appearances and her personally, he and the other Turians had forsaken their helmets while on Arcturus. Wrex, however, had insisted on keeping his adorned.  _ He obviously doesn’t want to be recognized...and I don’t think I want to know why. _

Jane made it a handful of steps down the docking corridor before she realized if she returned every salute thrown at her, she wouldn’t be able to lower her arm while on-station. She settled for respectful nods to any below her rank, only returning a salute to those of a higher-rank, of which there were blessedly few. As they walked, she could feel Liara’s eyes on her, a question obviously on her mind. Before she could turn to look at the Asari again, Nihlus spoke up.

“So, Shepard. You’ve served with this fleet? Are they all as skilled as you?”

Jane could hear the tease in his voice and rolled her eyes in response, not deigning to answer. 

“Wait, is there more than just this fleet?” Garrus poked his head forward and eyed Jane, mocking. “I thought this was all that the Alliance  **had** in the way of a Navy?”

Liara, at the far end, missed the sarcasm and leaned forward helpfully. “This is the Fifth Fleet, I believe -.” 

“Wait, wait. Hold on.” Garrus walked faster, turning so he could look down the line of visitors, but his question was directed at Jane. “So you humans  **purposefully** give away how many fleets you have? Is that information not down right  **deadly** in your enemies hands?”

Liara spoke up again, missing the jab’s intention. “Well, Mr. Vakarian, the humans aren’t currently at war with any species. I don’t believe there are ‘enemies hands’ to speak of.”

Garrus’ eyes shifted, gleaming. He spotted a chance to play with the innocent doctor, the easier prey no doubt. “Oh, I understand. You’re the ‘expert’, right? So your job on the team is to know  **everything** about where we are going.”

Liara blinked. “Well, no, I just...”

“So who’s the commander of this fleet?” Garrus looked around. “I’m sure he’s a powerful human warrior, to command a fleet this size.”

Jane raised her eyes at Saren and Nihlus but they both shrugged, seemingly any potential fallout of Saren’s stunt on Therum forgotten in their current collusion of Garrus’ mocking.  _ Well, as long as he doesn’t say anything too insulting, most of these soldiers will ignore him. I suppose it’ll be good for Liara to learn not to trade tongues with him. _

“Oh...well, I’ve never met the man, but from what I hear Admiral Hackett is a great leader.” Liara glanced around, concerned; some of the nearby officers had heard Garrus. “Although, I’ve heard a rumor that he was snubbed out of a better position last year.”

At that, Jane was curious. She wasn’t aware of any political scandals amongst the Alliance Brass.  _ Though to be truthful, I’m not the least bit surprised. _

Nihlus gave voice to her burgeoning curiosity. “I assume you’re referring to the most recently promoted Admiral of the First Fleet?”

_ The First? Admiral Lindholm was chosen in  _ **_lieu_ ** _ of Hackett? Yeah, I could see why some would think that’s a snub. _ Jane kept her mouth closed but paid more attention to her team’s small talk.

“Indeed, I am.” Liara shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “I’ve heard that many thought Hackett’s experience and skills would be better served at the helm of the Alliance Fleet stationed at the Citadel, rather than here.”

“That makes sense, actually,” Tali interjected, her jewel-like eyes narrowing. “Even amongst the Quarians, Admiral Hackett is known for his scientific expertise. Decades ago, when he was posted at the Citadel, some of our science departments even partnered with his teams - although, mostly for the ingenuity he fostered - both on  **and** off the field.”

“Huh.” Garrus seemed legitimately surprised at the wealth of knowledge the two women held. He melded back into line. “How did you two...know all that?” 

_ Looks like they took the wind from his sails.  _ Jane smirked.  _ I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Tali did that on purpose. Smart lady, that one. _

Tali tossed a wink the mercs way. “My father met Admiral Hackett, years ago. They worked on a secret project together.”

Liara, still missing the subtext of the conversation, smiled nervously. “I’m afraid my sources are not as exciting.” 

“That’s alright, Liara. Too much excitement can be a bad thing.” Jane offered her a polite smile, throwing the poor woman a lifeline. “Who told you about Hackett and Lindholm? I wasn’t aware that it was a potential scandal.”

Liara blushed at the attention. “I...well, I’ve spent the last several decades traveling the outskirts of civilized space, looking for ruins to explore. I guess I’ve heard things - all sorts of things. I wasn’t even aware of the validity of the statement, it’s probably not true, in fact - .”

Saren grunted, interrupting her embarrassed torrent. “You give yourself too little credit, Dr. T’soni. I’ve heard archaeology and intrigue aren’t all that different. A mind for one lends itself to the other, I would wager.”

Everyone looked at Saren, a mix of surprised and bemused. 

“Anyway,” the Spectre continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Hackett  **was** snubbed for the position. Humans may be new to the galaxy, but they are still victims of the age-old tradition of politics pervading the military. Just like all the other species.”

“Spectre-Arterius, we find your conclusion incorrect,” Legion said, his head-fans dilating in protest. “The Geth do not do this.”

Tali and Garrus both erupted into laughter and even Jane smirked. Saren elected to ignore the Geth.

“He’s got a point, you know.” Nihlus patted Saren’s back comfortingly. “But give it a few more centuries and I’m sure the Geth will learn that unfortunate trait from the rest of us.” 

Tali wiped her eyes and gave Legion a big smile. “Keelah knows they’ll learn it from us first. When it comes to politics and military mixing...I think we Quarian’s have it down to a science.”

“Was the pun intentional?” Garrus twinkled his eyes across the group at Tali, who returned the gesture with her own egregious wink.

The group fell quiet for several moments, allowing Jane to refocus on the docking corridor. They passed an increasing number of soldiers from various ships. She even recognized a few of the captains.  _ I wonder how much they’ve been told? They must suspect  _ **_something_ ** _. There's been a lot of movement, even here in the heart of human space.  _

Ahead a large opening with a couple of crowds around both sides of the doorway loomed.  _ That would be Mess Hall Eirene. Hackett said he’d meet us there. Wonder if there will be enough time to eat? Chakwas can be an absolute tyrant when it comes to medical care, and I miss solid food. _ All too quickly, the quiet was ended again by the incessant trio of Turians. 

“So, Tali, Liara. We’ve all dealt with the System’s Alliance in one capacity or another.” Nihlus gestured to his side of the group and gave the two a conspicuous gaze. “What about you two?”

Liara hunched down slightly, and walked slower, hiding from Nihlus’ inquisitive eyes. Tali moved forward, mirroring Garrus’s earlier move, and took the brunt of the Spectre’s attention. A big smile crossed her face at the chance to connect with the group.

“Actually, before Shepard stumbled upon us, Legion and I had never even met any Alliance military before.”

Garrus nodded, sagely. “You’re lucky, then. In our experience, most Alliance military types don’t seem to like us.”

“I wonder how much that has to do with  **you** , Vakarian?” Jane said, returning the mercenary’s smirk. “Maybe a little confirmation bias has snuck its way into your observation?”

“Ha! Actually, I was thinking about...my associate and I,” Garrus jerked his thumb at Wrex. “Mostly him, though.”

“Oh! I was hoping we would get to that!” Tali practically jumped into the air, a mischievous look in her eyes. She shifted her attention to Wrex, barely avoiding an Alliance Ensign giving commands to his team. “Is that why you're hiding in your armor? You don’t want to be recognized?”

Wrex took the bait, growling. “I’m not hiding, Quarian.”

Garrus barked a laugh and waved his hand between the two. “Nevermind that, Tali. It’s just a job from a few decades ago. It got him on the bad side of some Alliance officials, that’s all.”

Jane, again, found herself drawn to the team’s conversation. “‘That’s all’?”  _ A couple of decades ago? What the hell did Wrex do? That would have been right when tensions were at their highest in the Verge. _

Garrus shrugged and laughed again, albeit, weaker this time. “Umm, yeah. I was actually going to see if maybe you could put in a good word for him, Shepard? Maybe see about getting him pulled off a list...”

Jane scoffed. “Maybe once I find out just what this job was - .”

She stopped herself as they found themselves at the entrance to the mess hall, and before them, two familiar faces stood slack-jawed.

Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko reacted faster, snapping into a respectful salute at the sight of Jane, while beside him, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams eyed the crowd of aliens with suspicious eyes, before following Alenko’s lead, snapping into her own crisp salute. Jane returned them, then smiled and strode forward. She and Alenko clasped hands, giving the union a rigorous, respectful shake. 

“Alenko, pleasure to see you again.” Jane smiled warmly, the clean-shaven, square-shaped face before her smiling back.

“Commander, the pleasure is all mine.” Outside of combat, with no lives in danger, Jane remarked on the soft voice.  _ Sounds like a gentle tiger. I bet he drives prospects wild with that. Doesn't hurt that he's quite the -. _

A not-at-all-subtle clearing of a throat to the side reminded Jane of the young woman flickering her eyes between Jane and her group. Jane looked at Williams, the first clear look she’d had since they picked the pair up from Eden Prime - and even then, Williams had been unconscious.  _ She looks mostly healed to me. Good.  _

“Williams. It's good to finally meet you.” Jane gave the cold woman a smile, reading her slightly austere face.  _ She looks...offended...great. _ “Even better to see you on your feet again.”

“Thank you ma'am! The Lieutenant told me what you did on Eden Prime. We owe you our lives.” Williams eyes hardened, but with a warm gratitude and a healthy dose of resolve. “I'll never forget it, ma'am!”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Gunnery Chief, but it wasn't just me.” Jane gestured to her left. “Spectres Saren Arterius and Nihlus Kryik. They led the Op on the ground. I was just along for the ride.”

A silence fell as the Turians looked down at the Alliance officers, wary at their sudden thrust into attention. Alenko visibly winced as Williams flitted her eyes away from Jane. Her warm resolve faded into a calculating aggressiveness. 

_ Damn, she's got that stone cold stare down pat. I didn't expect  _ **_that_ ** _ volatile a reaction. Well, let's see if the two Spectres are as charming with other women as they are with me. _

“I suppose some thanks are in order, then.” Alenko cleared his throat and stepped forward, obstructing Williams' view of the Turians - a practiced maneuver. “Thank you very much for the assistance, Spectres. I apologize that we didn't have a chance to thank you earlier.” 

Alenko's smile was genuine and his eyes were hopeful, so Nihlus bobbed his head, a gracious acceptance of the way out of a rapidly developing situation.

Williams’ derisive snort from behind slammed the exit door shut. 

Like a pouncing beast, Saren stepped forward slightly. “What was that, Williams?” His soft voice, absent the usual purring, was fully flanged and dangerous.

Williams stepped forward as well, matching the Spectre’s stance. “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering why you two  **really** stepped in to save our asses?”

Saren’s eyes narrowed and his mandibles twitched. Nihlus turned to him and placed a warning hand on his shoulder. Alenko did the same to Williams. Jane watched, ready to jump in, but still curious. 

“‘ **Really** stepped in’? You want to know why we were on your precious Eden Prime?”

“No. Actually, I couldn’t care less why you birds were there.” Williams ignored the instant hiss from the Turians. “I just want to hear you admit you only saved us to protect your precious honor.”

“Honor?” Saren stepped forward menacingly, glancing around himself. His next jab wasn't just for Williams. “And what would a  **human** know of  **honor** ?”

Around them, the off-duty service men and women all stepped forward instinctively.  _ Okay...this is getting dicey.  _ Jane met Alenko’s wincing eyes, silently beckoning him to get Williams under control. Thankfully, she didn’t have to tell Nihlus the same. As she looked, she saw the calmer Turian whispering behind Saren’s shoulder.

Jane turned to the mess hall, letting the Commander out slightly. Her eyes swept the front rank, sending those who knew her scurrying and pinning down those who either didn’t know her or who knew her and didn't care.

Williams stepped away. “Enough to know to quit while we’re ahead. Ma’am.” She gave Jane one last glance, a barely respectable shift in the iris’, and stalked towards the line for some food. 

The tension suffused the air until Saren snorted and moved back. He looked at Jane and his cold blue eyes regained some of their warmth. She shook her head and met Alenko’s apologetic stare.

“Sorry about that ma’am.” His eyes squinted slightly. “She’s...got some history.”

“Something about her grandfather, yeah?”

Alenko nodded. “Well, at any rate, she’ll come around. Her pride was wounded as bad as her body...and I don’t think she would ever expect Turians to pull her ass out of that...hell.”

Nihlus nodded his head, graciously accepting the man's apology. "We didn't mean any offense by it. I hope we can put our...bad blood behind us?"

Saren simply purveyed the surrounding humans. Like a sickle to wheat-stalks, they melded back, retreating to their prior conversations. Jane found herself staring at the blue eyes, almost deadly now. She felt like she was at a crossroads.

_ Sure could use some of Anderson's patented wisdom right about now.  _

A click of heels on the steel floor and a murmur through the ranks of the mess hall side-lined any grandiose thoughts Jane had of stepping into  **those** shoes. She turned to her left and immediately snapped into her crispest salute, a swell of pride rising, unbidden, in her chest. 

Before her stood Admiral Steven Hackett, the legend. The Savior of Torfan. The Sentinel of Arcturus. 

It had been years ago - just after the nightmare on Elysium - that Jane had first met Hackett. Even still, every time she saw him after, it had been as jaw dropping and momentous as the first time. Anderson may be a surrogate father, a wise mentor, and a great friend, but Hackett was a  **goddamn** hero. Her hero. 

Every other human in the mess hall followed Jane's lead and even her alien compatriots bowed their heads in respect - except Wrex and Legion, of course.  _ They get a pass...today. _

Hackett returned Jane's salute and waved for the mess hall to go back to their meals. Like a mythical demi-god of old, he approached the odd group in front of him. 

“Commander. Spectres. A pleasure to have you aboard my station once again.” He shook Saren and Nihlus' hands with a practiced political technique. “I hope the men and women of the Alliance are showing you the utmost respect.”

A few of the nearby soldiers had the graciousness to wither in their seats. Nihlus only clicked his mandibles and nodded. “We were just catching up with Lieutenant Alenko. We're glad to see him and - Williams, was it? - on their feet again.”

Like a Kepesh-Yakshi savant, Hackett flicked his eyes around the room, spotting Williams and a few still-furrowed brows of nearby soldiers, piecing the situation together. 

“As are we. We have high hopes for these two.” He leveled a heavy glance at Alenko, before turning back to the odd eclectic before him. “Unfortunately, I'll have to cut the pleasantries short for the time being. Lieutenant, if you would be so kind as to show our guests where their quarters of the next few days will be located?”

Jane felt the confusion emanate from her team, the same as her own gut. “Excuse me sir, I wasn't aware we were approved for shore leave.” Her plan had been a 48 hour layover at Arcturus.  _ 72 hours at the most. That Ship is still out there. _

Hackett gave her a curt smile. “You are now. Five days. Now, if you'd, please Commander, Spectres, follow me. We have some important matters to discuss and I would hate to keep you from your leave.”

Jane could only give a shrug and a nod to her team. She fell in line behind Hackett, as the elder man turned heel and began a crisp walk back the way he came. He stopped and turned back and almost like an afterthought, beckoned at Liara. “Oh, and if you wouldn’t mind, Doctor?”

Jane could practically hear the confused gulp before Liara nodded quickly and followed behind. Jane turned back to follow Hackett, who barely waited to see if his request would be accepted and she heard the soft footfalls of Liara, letting Saren and Nihlus flank Jane.

“Well, as you humans say, ‘look at the bright side’. Now you'll have a chance to replace your N7 armor.” Saren spoke softly, but still loud enough for Hackett to hear. 

“Yes, and I very much would like to hear your report on how - and  **why** \- a very expensive and advanced piece of equipment was used as salvage and grafted to a Geth unit.” Hackett’s musing had a slight tinge of humor. 

Jane couldn't help the smirk that crossed her lips. “It's a helluva story, Admiral.”

Several minutes of walking through the same, sterile, steel corridors finally gave way to more innate, wooden trimmed halls and offices. Thankfully, the further in-station they trekked, the less salutes that were tossed at Jane.

Subconsciously - or rather, maybe a subtle purposefully - Jane slipped more into the Spectre role, copying Saren and Nihlus' confident gaits. She still handed out respectful nods and glances but for the most part, her persona shifted away from the soldier amongst her peers, to the history-making Spectre amongst politicians and senior officials. 

_ Would Anderson be proud? Or disgusted? _

Thankfully, she didn't have to answer herself. 

They passed through a heavy wooden door - no doubt only a thin, treated, layer on either side of a steel slab - and filed into a spacious office. Imprinted into the dark blue carpet was a silver seal, a stamp of the Alliance symbol: Earth, enveloped by a sweeping star-ship.

This was a newer occurrence. Jane had met Hackett a dozen times but had never set foot in his office.  _ Times are a changin', huh? Anderson always liked that song... _

Hackett slid behind his large wooden desk and sat, gesturing for his guests to sit themselves. Once they were all comfortable, Hackett spoke up. 

“Dr. T'soni, a pleasure to finally meet you. It's been a long time coming.” He eyed the shy doctor, who, strangely, seemed more comfortable in his presence now. Satisfied with her polite smile and nod, he continued. “I've heard alot about you and I'm sure I know the answer, but still, I have to ask. I'm sure you understand.”

“I understand, Admiral. I take no offense at precautionary measures.”

“Glad to hear it, Doctor. It's a rare thing nowadays to understand we all have a part to play.” Hackett paused and looked at all of them. To her side, Jane saw Saren and Nihlus give slightly bemused nods. “What we are about to discuss has been placed among the top echelons of classified, by myself, my counterparts amongst The Hierarchy and The Republics, and the Council. Can we trust you to keep a secret, Dr. T'soni?”

“Yes, Admiral.” Liara gave a firm nod and an unintentionally-cute grimace. 

“Excellent.” Hackett pulled up his Omni-tool and tapped a few times. Each of the Admiral’s guests Omni-tools blinked in response to the secure-link request. With a few more concise swipes, a holo-display erected from the center of the desk from hidden lenses. Overlaid atop one another, headshots of Captain Anderson, Lieutenant Alenko, and Gunnery Chief Williams, all appearing to be from their official Alliance files, slowly rotated between the five of them. 

At the bottom, a ticker revolved around the image: ‘Confidential - Operation: Heracles - Confidential’.

“Consider this notice a professional courtesy, Spectres.” Hackett spoke pointedly, looking directly at Jane, while still including the others. “As soon as the Council tasked the Alliance with following up on the leaked data about the Beacon on Eden Prime, Captain Anderson applied for CO on the mission; before a mission was even authorized. He requested these two officers to accompany him as soon as they were able. They’ll be heading for the Citadel in a few hours to rendezvous with the Captain.

“We’ve had our tech’s dissecting the unsanctioned data burst from Rollins’ Omni-tool and yesterday, they finally got something.” Hackett swiped his fingers again and the holo-display changed again; a zoomed-out image of the Voyager cluster. “While what happened on Eden Prime was certainly the first of its kind, there have been dozens of incidents across numerous Alliance worlds over the past decade. Sudden catastrophe with no survivors or everyone up and disappearing without a trace. Unmapped scientific outposts with no known permits or records.”

As Jane and the others watched, the holo-display shifted again, morphing rapidly to the next image, then again to the next and then the next and so on. From what she could see, they were files, reports and records. Most official Alliance ones, but quite a few weren’t. She got the gist of what the Admiral was trying to say.  _ Black ops. Secret experiments. Skeletons in closets. _

“Interesting. How did you link all of these together, Admiral?” Liara leaned forward, putting her elbows on her knees.

“Thought you might ask, Doctor.” Hackett swiped again. Half a dozen images, some grainy and distorted and others clear and crisp, were again overlaid on top of another. “Ruins. Each and every world, ruins had been found and reported to the Council. Then without fail, within six months of discovery and cataloging, this mysterious force rears its ugly head."

Liara looked surprised and Jane saw a small flash of recognition from the Doctor.  _ She's probably been to some of these worlds. _

Saren spoke up. “Prothean?”

“Most, but not all. Some were never verified as Prothean, while a few appeared to be something else: more ancient or not as well maintained.” Hackett shrugged. “All we can confidently say is this organization is good. They know how to stay off the radar and have done so for this long. Their first mistake was not keeping it that way.”

“Could be the Shadow Broker.” Nihlus looked deep in thought and slightly perturbed. 

“I doubt it.” Hackett waved his hand and the holo-display shut off. Jane’s Omni-tool blinked with a notification of receipt. “If it was, I doubt our teams would have been able to piece it together. We aren’t  **that** good.”

“Well regardless, Admiral, if anyone can find these bastards, Captain Anderson can.” Jane gestured at her Omni-tool. “Between missions I can have Legion go through this and if we find anything on them, we’ll send the intel your way.”

“Good to hear it, Commander, but I won’t be helming this Operation. Once Alenko and Williams arrive at the Citadel, Captain Anderson will be reporting directly to Rear Admiral Kahoku. You can send your intel directly to him.”

Nihlus gave a low whistle. “The Devil’s Hound? Well, I see the Alliance is pulling out all the stops on this Operation.”

“We take matters of Alliance security quite seriously, Spectre.” Hackett gave the Turian a slight smirk, before turning serious once more. “Now, tell me again about Therum, these rogue Geth, and this Ship.”

It only took ten minutes between the two Spectres to give their full report to the Admiral, but it felt like reliving the entire mission to Jane. She had been banged up worse at Elysium but the Blitz had never given her nightmares like Therum. She let the Turians do most of the talking, only answering questions directed at her specifically. Liara listened intently and Jane found herself curious about what she thought of some of the details she hadn’t been privy to until now. 

_ She spent almost her whole time aboard the Normandy in the medbay storage. What does she think of this eclectic group? Does she see herself as part of it yet?  _

“Krogan mercs, Prothean ruins, and the rogue Geth. A new ground deployed tank-type and two starship-types.” Hackett looked across the office at a barren wall, thinking. “They’re learning...adapting...and at a much faster rate then they have in the last three hundred years with the Quarian’s aid, I might add. It seems to all start with this Ship.”

“Maybe it’ll end with it too.” Nihlus mused, following the Admiral’s stare.

Between them, Saren looked sullen. 

Hackett stared for a moment longer, before sighing and meeting Jane’s eyes. “Maybe. Hopefully. You mentioned Geth disappearing - presumably ‘converted’ - in the Attican Beta, correct?”

“Yes, sir. Theseus system, Feros.” A flash of recognition from both Hackett and Liara gave her a moment’s pause. “ExoGeni colony, built on the expansive Prothean ruins. As of today, their latest check-in deadline was two weeks ago.”

Nihlus picked up where she left off. “And we’ve got other similar instances being reported across the Armstrong Nebula, spanning back months. Whatever this Ship has been doing, it's been at it a while.” 

Hackett looked back at the wall again, brow furrowed. The office fell silent. 

A few moments passed, before Liara leaned forward again. “Excuse me, sorry. Do you have the files on these locations in the Armstrong Nebula?”

Nihlus nodded and sent them to her Omni-tool. Liara immediately began swiping through the files, her own brow mirroring the Admirals. Jane and Nihlus watched her curiously for a moment. 

Hackett sighed again, heavier this time. “Well I'm sure I don't need to tell you Commander that the Admiralty Board won't like this news. The Armstrong is too close for comfort and I'm sure their counterparts in the Republics and Hierarchy will feel similarly.”

“I agree, Admiral. I'm not sure what the Normandy can do by itself, other than reconnaissance and precision strikes.” 

“I'm afraid that's all you  **can** do, Commander." Hackett grimaced. "Even then, that may be asking too much on top of what we've already asked from you and your crew.”

Before Jane could fumble a response, Liara suddenly whipped her head up, shock splashed across it. “Wait! Sorry to interrupt but can you please pull up the files on Operation Heracles, Commander?”

“Doctor, is everything alright?” Jane watched her from the corner of her eye as she pulled up the files.

“Just a hunch...yes!” Liara cycled through half a dozen reports, swiping them together into a single file, a fervor she had yet to show etched on her face. Everyone in the office watched. Just as quickly as she organized the file, the excitement changed to borderline horror. “Oh, Goddess!”

Saren was the first to re-analyze the presentation, letting out a strange clicking noise Jane hadn't often heard, but still recognized as a serious Turian curse.  _ Damn Auto-translator. Must have the safe settings on.  _ Her annoyance was short-lived as she pieced it together herself. 

“Fuck.”  _ Prothean ruins? What are the odds? _

“Huh,” Nihlus gave a half-hearted shrug. “At least now we know the Ship and the Rogue Geth  **are** searching for something having to do with the Protheans, just like this other group.”

Saren gave his Turian partner a deadpan glance. “Or, it  **is** the Protheans.”

“Which?”

Saren shrugged. “Either? Both?”

The five of them all glanced around at each other, silent, when facing the disquieting notion. 

Hackett recovered first. "Doctor? Is that possible? Prothean’s surviving all this time?"

“I...I don't think so. Maybe.” She looked like she was pleading. "I don't know. I've studied them my entire life and how they might have lived and functioned as a civilization. Their ruins, as numerous as they are across the galaxy, still don't provide nearly enough concrete evidence to support many theories. I believe the saying is ‘a wide lake, but shallow waters’? If the Protheans did survive whatever their extinction event was...the answer to  **how** is so far beyond anything I could feasibly come up with. I'm sorry.”

"That's alright Doctor. Just a hail merry." Hackett looked back to Liara's findings, then back to her. “What can you tell me about the ruins you were investigating on Therum?”

"Not much, I'm afraid; I didn't have much time in the ruins themselves, but my best guess was that it was a Communications Tower used during the Prothean Empire's ancient days.” Liara reluctantly swiped away the current image from her Omni-tool to show them her notes. “My best estimates show that it was of substantial size and power, but at some point it was either covered by the mountain or it was transferred into the interior.”

“What about the Prothean signal and the sphere artifact?” Hackett steepled his fingers and leaned forward. “Any idea what the rogue Geth wanted with it?”

“I think the signal acted as a waypoint or a beacon; a signal to alert Protheans of a safeplace most likely.” Liara seemed troubled. “The sphere artifact...on that, I haven’t the faintest idea. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Of the hundreds of papers I’ve read about various galactic excavations, nothing like that has ever come up.”

“Were you and the other excavators drawn to it like we were, Doctor?” Nihlus spoke up, interested. 

“No. I thought it was curious that your team felt that way after such a short time, when my team and I had been there for so much longer and felt nothing of the sort.” Liara shrugged and turned back to Hackett. “Besides, I don’t think the rogue Geth knew how extensive the ruins were. It appears the Krogan mercenaries were looking for me, specifically.”

“Makes sense.” Jane finally re-entered the discussion. She glanced quickly at Saren. “I’d bet that whoever helms the Ship knows whatever the rogue Geth do. If the rogue Geth knew much about the ruins, they would have been more careful not to excite the volcano. And then the Ship blew it all to hell anyways.”

“Yes, speaking of exciting the volcano, Spectre Kryik and I have a theory on that.” Liara had at first seemed off-put by being part of the discussion with three Spectres and a high-ranking Alliance official. She seemed to be quickly adapting, though she still had trouble meeting Jane’s eyes. “Do you remember when you approached the main console?”

Jane nodded. “It reacted, like it was sending a query, yeah?”

“Correct.” Nihlus threw up a few files from his own Omni-tool. “We think it recognized  **you** as Prothean.” 

Liara nodded vigorously, excited at the prospect. Jane could only look back and forth between the two. 

“You think the Beacon on Eden Prime scrambled my DNA?” Jane raised her eyebrows at the pair’s incessant head bobbing. “So Legion was right then? It imparted something onto me and my genes. I can understand the Prothean language and I register as one with their technology.”

“Yes! It's only a theory at this point, but it has merit.” Liara finally met Jane’s gaze and gave a small smile. 

“Alright, well, once we solve this issue of deadly rogue Geth and a freakishly powerful Ship, I’ll gladly let the labs dissect me.” Jane glanced at Saren. “Hell, we can split the week up, if you want, Arterius?”

Her ploy worked and he finally smirked, unfolding his arms. “It is starting to feel more and more like a gift, isn’t it?”

“Well, we definitely aren't going to start looking the horse in the mouth now.” Hackett leaned back. “I'm curious, though. You said you think the mercenaries were looking for you specifically, Doctor.”

Liara wilted at suddenly being the center of attention again. “Yes, Admiral.”

“Any idea who might be looking for you?” Hacketts voice was calm and measured, but Liara still looked uncomfortable. 

_ Extremely so.  _ **_Does_ ** _ she know something? Saren said he’d already asked her on the way to the station. _

Liara was silent and shook her head. She glanced down at her hands and started wringing them together, like she was scrubbing them in the old-style sinks back on Earth.

The four of them traded glances and it looked like Saren was about to say something when Hackett cleared his throat. 

“Well, Doctor, if you come up with an idea, please let us know, so we can help protect you. Given what we do know about who might want you, I don't think they are interested in keeping you from harm.”

“Of course, Admiral.” Liara still looked straight down at her lap. 

“Alright, I think we're done here,” Hackett stood and offered his hand. “Spectres, Doctor. I appreciate the intel on possible targets. I'll start disseminating it to the proper parties. Hopefully we can get off our backfoot against these bastards.”

One by one, the four of them shook Hacketts hand and started filing from the office, but Jane stayed slightly behind. Hackett gave a small smile, like he understood, and waved her back.

“Thank you for the heads up, Admiral.” Jane nodded her head deeply, trying to convey as much as she could of the gratitude and respect that she held for the man before her. 

“I know how much he's done for you, Commander. In a lot of ways, we have him to thank for dragging you off Earth in the first place, so really, he's done a lot for all of us.” Hackett gave a full smile now. “It was the least I could do.”

He was still the legendary Admiral and human hero she knew, but a different side was visible to her now. It reminded her of Anderson. She gave her best salute and followed her team out. 

A few hours later Jane moved through a crowded corridor on the opposite end of Arcturus, various soldiers and technicians splitting their groups to get out of her way. 

_ Or more accurately  _ **_our_ ** _ way. Damnit. I can practically  _ **_hear_ ** _ his fucking smile. At least Nihlus would have tact about this.  _

Down the stretch of steel, an open door with a yellow and black painted border marked her latest mission. Above the door, engraved in striking yellow lettering, ‘ARMOR REQUISITIONS & FITTING’ shone like a beacon. 

Saren emerged like a shark on her left, his trademark shit-eating grin splitting his mandibles in a way that she usually thought was extremely attractive. Now it only served to piss her off. His eyes were anywhere but on her; his blue gaze pinned the soldiers they passed to the wall behind them, almost begging them to say or do something. Fortunately, none here were stupid enough to fall for it.

_ Hell, I'd take Garrus or even Wrex. ‘Personal stock replenishment’ my ass. _

Jane couldn’t resist and sighed, finally drawing Saren’s stare. 

“Don't worry, Jane. Nihlus will show Legion some good weapons. He'll get it properly kitted out.”

“He.”

“What?”

“Legion ID’s as a he.” They finally reached the door and Jane stopped to turn fully towards Saren. “Also, I’m not worried about those two.”

“Ah.”

Jane rolled her eyes and turned to the door, making to move through the threshold, when Saren spoke again.

“Well, if you're worried about Tali’zorah and T’soni finding proper replacement clothes...” He shrugged. “Well, I don’t even know if they have any credits?”

Jane closed her eyes for a moment.  _ Now just him  _ **_talking_ ** _ to me is pissing me off. Damn Spectre. _ “I gave Tali my credit chit. I’m not worried about them - or anything else, really.”

“You seem worried.”

“I’m not.”

“Are you...pensive.”

“Kinda, yeah.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

_ You can leave. _ Instead, Jane turned back to Saren, breathing through flared nostrils. 

Saren cocked his head. “Jane?” He stepped toward her and reached an arm out.

She met him halfway and poked him in the chest with one finger and stopped his hand with the other arm. “Yes. You can do something to help.”

“Okay. I’m all ears.” For the only time since they had first seen the Ship on Eden Prime, Saren didn’t look confident. 

_ Don’t stop. Push through the discomfort. This needs to happen. What would Anderson do? _

“Good, because what I have to say won’t be easy, I’m sure.” 

Jane glanced to the side and caught a Lieutenant's attention. She jerked her head and he began waving soldiers and technicians nearby away from the Req. & Fit. When they were given enough space, Jane opened her mouth to continue, but Saren beat her to the punch.

“Look, Jane, if this is about Therum, I was too busy keeping my team alive to answer Nihlus. I knew if I responded he would have stopped moving and from the sound of it, that would have been the end of him - and possibly you too.” Saren splayed his mandibles. “Not to mention I may have stopped focusing on survival just long enough to cost my team  **their** lives. It's a simple calculus. Ignore my partner, save all our lives, and complete the mission, or give in to a selfish desire, even for a moment, and  **cost** us the mission. Nihlus understands, and so should you.”

Jane was quiet for a moment, disbelief temporarily stunning her.  _ Are you...are you fucking serious? How asinine -.  _ Jane shook her head and forced herself to calm down. She spoke softly, but with a clipped tone. Involuntarily, she let the Commander out. 

“I  **understand** the cost of keeping a team alive. I  **understand** completing a mission. I'm an N7  **and** a Commander, Arterius, not some private fresh off the transport.” Shepard looked up and met Saren’s unflinching eyes. She narrowed her own. “Once again, you  **assume** you know what's going on. You  **assume** you have all the answers.”

“Then maybe you should tell me, Jane.” Saren stared down at her. “I’m obviously missing something here.”

Shepard pointed down the hall. “What do you see?”

Reluctantly, Saren followed her finger. “Humans.”

“All of them staring at you, yeah?”

Saren looked back at her, his blue eyes shifting slightly.

“Why do you think that is?”

“Maybe their ancestors took part in what they think of as your First Contact War, like Williams.” His response sounded an awful lot like an excuse to her.

“Maybe some,” Shepard admitted. “But not all. Not even close. But that’s not the point, Spectre. Can you blame them for looking at you the way they do? What have you done since the moment we got on this station?”

Saren finally looked away, his slowly hardening eyes softening suddenly.

“You’ve jeered, you’ve goaded. You’ve flashed your weapon like an open challenge.” Her voice raised and she spoke to the entire stretch of corridor now. “Do some of these men and women  **need** you to push them? Hell no. Are they pieces of shit that hate you because of how you look? Absolutely. That's inexcusable and I won’t defend it. I will  **never** defend it; especially from a member of my team.

“What you’ve done is just as bad as what they’ve done. You’ve come onboard this station and utilized the natural tension between our two species and taunted the inhabitants here - even those who have no hate for you or yours. You’ve been lording your position and species over these people and I won't have it continue.” 

Shepard looked now down the hall fully now, but spoke to both onlookers and Saren. “The notion that when you look at them and your only thought is ‘humans’ or when they look at you and they only see ‘turian’, is wrong. We are all so much more. We're people of the galaxy, and we must stand together. Now, more than ever.” 

Shepard took a deep breath and turned back to Saren. She felt the great pressure on her back, one that had been slowly accumulating since they arrived on Arcturus, begin to fade. 

“Now, c’mon.” Jane crossed the threshold of the door and waved the silent Turian after her. “I need some new armor."

Obediently, quietly, Saren followed her a few steps behind.

They entered a large, recently-quiet room with dozens of racks, shelves and cabinets lining the walls. Between the steel fixtures, technicians, Req. Officers and soldiers slowly restarted their conversations.  _ Was I too hamfisted? Maybe, but I think Anderson would approve...I hope.  _ Even as she wished it, she could almost feel his full smile shining down on her, as if he stood with her, even now. 

Jane led the way, pushing through the crowd. She sidestepped a half-armored Corporal, returned a quick salute, and spotted their destination. In the far left corner, an empty armor rack stood, guarded by a leaning Requisition Officer, identified by her Omni-tool as Petty Officer Steve Gilmour. 

Behind her, Saren finally sidled up, dancing between two silent technicians watching the pair. Finally, when they neared, Gilmour pushed off the wall.

“Ma'am, sir.” He gave a swift salute and nod. “I hear we need some new armor?”

“Yes, I do.” Jane sighed. “Spectre Arterius here is going to help me pick a new set out.”

_ If I'm stuck with him, I might as well make him useful. _

“Understood ma'am. I'm willing to bet a Spectre will have some good insight into what makes a set of armor worth it.” Gilmour gave Saren an appraising look. 

“Your insight is correct, Petty Officer.” Saren slid over to the wall, his cocksure grin in place again, though Jane could tell he was making an effort to not be demeaning. He leaned back, posting up in a comfortable position. “My father was a renowned armor mechanic in the Hierarchy.”

Gilmour nodded and turned back to Jane. He gestured to the empty armor rack. “Last mission went right kinetic, huh?”

"Very." She stepped up to the armor rack. The steel arms of the machine began whirring and shifting around her, measuring her. 

“I gotcha, I gotcha.” Gilmour waved his Omni-tool and a life size holo-display of Jane sprung forth from lenses along the armor racks edges. “Fortunately, we just received a larger than normal shipment, including a few top of the line sets.”

Saren barked half a laugh. “‘Top of the line’ or  **top** of the line?”

Any worry Jane might have had about Gilmour being able to keep up with Saren evaporated. The Req. Officer raised his eyebrows and shifted slightly, still facing Jane, but allowing his voice to carry easily to Saren behind his shoulder. 

“I’ve got some HK, sure, but I also received a few sets from Elanus, Kassa and even one from Ariake.”

“Guardian?”

“With a newly minted ablative coating. Brings it in line with the Predator.”

“Sure, but the kinetic and biotic shielding is still subpar. You can have the hull of a starship but still be torn to shreds by a well placed Warp.”

“Alright, alright. I also got a Colossus. Wipes the floor with the Predator in any category.”

“Colossus? Not bad, not bad.” Saren looked away for a moment, admitting defeat. “Not bad, if you want to look like a walking bruise.”

“Well, sir, sometimes you’ve gotta make compromises if you wanna be well protected!” Gilmour chuckled and threw his hands up in faux-exasperation.

As a response, Saren just tapped his own armored chest. Jane couldn't help but snort.

“Alright, fair enough, Spectre. But not everyone can have a set of heavily modified...Titan? Damn!” Gilmour grumbled something about Rosenkov liking turians more than humans anyway. 

Saren’s smirk grew wider. “What about the Mercenary? Light or Medium?”

Sensing an opening, Gilmour gave his own smirk. “Heavy.”

Saren actually kicked off the wall in surprise. “Which series?”

“X.”

Saren choked on his own smirk.

“That’s not all, though.” Gilmour looked back at Jane and waved his Omni-tool again. “It comes shipped with both a medical endoskeleton  **and** a kinetic exoskeleton.”

The two men whistled at the same time, both looking at Jane, imagining her wearing the set of armor materialised before them. 

Jane sighed. “Do you have a spare set of the Onyx?”

Gilmour gawked at her. Saren looked like he’d just been slapped. 

“Jane, you’d be an  **actual** tank on the field with the Mercenary!”

“Ma’am, the endo-  **and** exoskeleton!”

“Look, I get it,” Jane folded her arms. “The Mercenary is damn impressive, I won’t argue that, but the Onyx is what I want.”

The two sighed and shook their heads. Saren retreated to the wall and leaned back again. Gilmour waved his Omni-tool once more and a basic black and grey set appeared, almost exactly like the one she had. 

“Alright, so it looks like the records indicate you had a medium series VIII.”

“Right, with the N7 stripe and insignia.”

“Gotcha, I’ll add that on.” He was quiet for a moment as he swiped on his Omni-tool. “It looks like we do have a heavy series V, if you were interested in heavier damage protection and stronger shields?”

Jane thought for a moment. “No, my greatest strength is being quick. Do you have a medium series VII or VIII?”

Another pause. “No...but I do have a light series X.”

_ Light? It’s been a while since I went on the field in light armor. Still, it's better than just a weave-layer. _

“Do you have any extra protection?”

“Yep, I think...yep. I’ve got some energized plating as well as a shield modulator, depending on where you want the protection.”

_ Hmm...so stronger shields or better armor plating. If only I could choose both...wait.  _

“What about that kinetic exoskeleton?” Jane raised her eyebrows.

Gilmour thought for a second. “With some minor tweaks, yeah, we could get it to mesh with the Onyx, sure.”

“Perfect. I’ll take the energized plating as well.”

“Gotcha, gotcha.” Gilmour swiped more on his Omni-tool. “They should have it ready...in about two days?”

“Perfect. We’ll be on station for another five.”

“Wonderful, that means we can test it out before we ship you off in a highly experimental armor upgrade.” Gilmour gave her a warm smile and turned to begin preparations.

Saren snorted.

“Wait,” Jane looked at the back of the Petty Officer in surprise. ‘Highly experimental’?”

The next two days passed extremely slowly for Jane's taste. Most of it was spent on deskwork, team reporting, and the like. Apparently being the Commander of the Normandy  **and** the first human Spectre, meant her shore leave was different than others.

The third day passed much more quickly, with the first half involving rigorous tests of her new armor set. Her and Gilmour’s worry of meshing heavy armor modifications with a lightweight set were assuaged by all the green lights. In the armor she was as fast and almost as strong as the Spectres, and if she was caught in C.Q. like on Therum, she could take a helluva lot more of a beating than before.  _ But let's plan on that  _ **_not_ ** _ happening, yeah? _

As happy as she was to get replacement armor - not to mention a new series of the Avenger rifle, the middle of the day crashed to a slow crawl. She only made it an hour or so before her impatience got the better of her. 

Legion was fully kitted out with a new shield modulator and new weapons with a variety of upgrades, handpicked by himself, Nihlus, and Tali. Garrus and Wrex restored their own personal stock. Tali and Liara had acquired new clothing and various supplies for the latter. Every member of the Normandy she talked to were itching to be underway. 

She spent nearly an hour cajoling Admiral Hackett to let the Normandy end shore leave early. Finally, he acquiesced to her request - on one condition; she partake in an official state dinner that night. 

To Jane, it was worth it, even if she had to wear an utterly ridiculous and impractical dress. 

And so, a full day early, the Normandy rocketed away from Arcturus, jumped to FTL, and made way for the Mass Relay that would send them on their way to the Attican Beta, Theseus system and to Feros.

And, hopefully, some answers. 

“You want to do what?”

“I...I’m sorry if what I offered was offensive - I only want to help...”

“No, no it’s not offensive.” Jane thought for a moment, looking across the packed comm room. “At least, I don’t think it is. I just don’t understand what it is that you’re offering, Doctor.”

Across the way, to Liara’s left, Wrex grinned. Beside him, Garrus let out a small sputtering cough, hoping to mask the flanged chuckle. 

Liara took a deep breath, still uncomfortable at being the center of attention for the whole group. Somehow, Jane was sure that the poor doctor would be as blustered if it was just Liara and herself.  _ But really, how would  _ **_I_ ** _ feel? The vision...no! Focus. Besides, she didn't have the vision. _

“We...we call it melding.” Liara looked about ready to melt through the floor. “We would join our consciousness together.”

_ Melding? Thats...that sounds odd... Not sure I like the idea of Liara seeing the vision...aside from whatever other connotations there are. _

Her suspicions were confirmed when Legion, helpfully unhelpful, spoke up. 

“Shepard-Commander, ‘melding’ is the process Asari undertake when they wish to reproduce with another sentient creature. Source: Fornax Issue #3927: ‘Five Things You Didn’t Know About Alien Sex’.” Tali joined Garrus in a coughing fit and Wrex’s grin grew wider. Legion’s eye-fans spun and flared for a moment. “However, we believe Doctor-T’soni is referring to the lesser performed process where only information is transferred rather than genetic makeup.”

Liara clung to the lifeline that was Legion’s afterthought. “Yes! Yes, um, Legion is correct. All I was offering was the second...was to share information. That's all!”

Jane couldn’t help but chuckle, sharing glances with Saren and Nihlus. “Well, damn. I didn’t know I wasn’t meld material, Doctor.”

Liara missed the joke. Her jaw dropped in a horrified gasp. “No! I’m sorry, Commander - its just that - I didn’t mean to - you’re plenty - .”

“Relax, Liara! It was just a joke.” Jane met her eyes and gave as warm a smile as she could. "I suppose when I asked for your help in deciphering our visions I didn’t expect you would need to connect so...intimately...to our minds."

"Well, until I heard about your ability to understand basic prothean symbols and the signal reacting to you specifically, I didn't either." Liara looked slightly more comfortable, but still had a general air of fluster about her. 

"See that's something I still don't get." Tali leaned forward as she spoke. "If the Beacon on Eden Prime burned something to the Commander and Saren's mind, something that makes a Prothean signal recognize them as prothean - at least partially - then why doesn't the vision make sense to them?"

Nihlus spoke first. "It could be because the Beacon was interrupted. It blasted Saren first but then the Commander pushed him out of the way and took his place." 

Garrus nodded. "Like when you disconnect two Omni-tools before the transfers complete. The files get corrupted."

Liara shook her head. "No...well maybe, but no I don't think so. I think it's more likely that the Beacon was designed to scan and interact with a prothean mind. What little we do know about them, biologically, is that their mental prowess and brain power likely surpassed even modern day Salarians. It's extremely likely - no offense, Commander and Spectre - that the Beacon couldn't  **find** a connection with your more primitive brains and just...forced its message on you. Maybe all your minds need is another to help share the load, as it were."

The room was quiet as its patrons looked around each other, deep in thought. Liara met Jane's eyes and shrugged an apology. 

"Sounds about right to me, Doctor. That's why we brought you on board; we need answers if we're going to stop the Ship and the rogue Geth." Jane gave a reassuring nod. "Saren, you want up first?"

Saren splayed his mandibles and squinted his eyes. "Ah...no why don't you go ahead, Jane."

Jane raised her eyebrows and smirked.  _ Afraid to get your mind read, Arterius?  _

Jane looked at Liara and she remembered her own reservations.  _ Well, shit. Maybe Saren has the right idea? _ Her face must have betrayed her sudden shift. This time Liara tried to give the reassuring smile. 

"Do not worry, Commander. We Asari can only see what our...partner… wants us to see. Think of only the vision and that is all you will show me."

Jane nodded.  _ Good. Really, really good.  _ "What do you need me to do, Doctor?" 

"Just...relax. All that is needed is a simple touch."

The two stood and met in the middle of the comm room. The team's eyes were on the pair, most of their faces solemn, with an underlying current of unabated curiosity. Wrex and Garrus’ faces were still plastered with enormous grins.  _ Damn them. _

Jane focused on Liara before her, her own stomach threatening to rebel with uneasy flutters. The demure doctor closed her eyes and held her hands to Jane's temples. It took all of Jane’s willpower to focus on the last part of her vision.  _ Don't think about the first part. Don't think about -. _

"Relax, Commander...and...” Liara's eyes flashed open, pupil less and jet black. "Embrace eternity!"

Jane found herself -  **_NO_ ** \- in an unknown room. She lay on a couch, distinctly aware of her exposed -  **_NOT THAT PART_ ** -. 

Flashes of images began crowding her vision. Death and destruction. Genetic manipulation. Mechanical beings. Ancient. Horrifyingly powerful. They swept like a flood through everything, destroying and converting. She saw an empire, great and powerful. Never-ending. It was nothing before the onslaught.

Then, nothing.

The vision ended and Jane found herself gasping. In front of her, Liara held her head in her hands. Her eyes were shut tight like she had a fierce migraine. Around them, the entire room stood on standby. 

"Doctor? Liara, you okay?"

Liara managed a nod. "Yes it's...a lot to take in." 

Saren and Jane shared a knowing glance, all thoughts Jane might have had about the earlier parts of the vision gone.

"I...wow. You two must have extraordinary minds...to be able to survive...what the Beacon gave you." Liara's deep breaths eventually steadied as she recovered. She reopened her eyes and gave the room a big smile. "It seems both of my theories are correct. Amazing!"

"Theories?" Saren spoke and moved closer to Jane. He put a hand on her shoulder and she was glad for the comforting weight. 

_ It's one thing to relive the vision in a dream, but another altogether to actually replay it in my mind. Damn. _

"Well, the first theory of sharing the vision allowed me to gain a rudimentary understanding of what the Beacon was trying to tell you was proven correct." Liara staggered back to her chair, while Jane did the same, supported by Saren. "I think...it's a message. A warning to any who could find it."

Jane nodded. "Do we know of what?"

"That's my second theory. One I've had for years. The Prothean Empire was destroyed, yes, but in my fifty years of study, I found clues; clues that have finally been pieced together." Liara paused and looked around the room, almost ecstatic. "The Protheans weren't the first. Not even close."

Nihlus had a look of wonder when he spoke, almost child-like. "The first? What do you mean?"

"The first to meet a sudden end. To reach the peak of civilization, power, and technology - and to be violently cast down. This...cycle. It has been going on for millions and millions of years!"

"The Ship - ?" Saren stopped himself. He looked almost choked up. 

Liara's face fell. "I do not know. In the archeological field, there are plenty of...boogeyman stories. The Leviathan of Dis, the Reaping, the Great Rift Valley, the Fall of Epho...it could be any of them or none of them."

The comm room was again silent as everyone settled into their seats and contemplated what Liara said. Eventually, Joker came over the intercom. 

"Commander, we're just over nine hours out from the Relay. And I've got some great news!"

"Thanks, Joker." Ironically, Jane felt a pit forming in her stomach. "What's the news?"

"By my latest calculations, there arent any fucking volcanos on Feros! No more chances to fry our sensors or landing gear!"

Jane led the room in a slight chuckle, the collective gloom brightening somewhat.  _ His sense of timing is...impeccable.  _ She stood and stretched. 

"Alright, people, you heard the man. Hit the pods and be ready for Relay transit in nine hours. It's a short jump from there to Feros and if we plan on getting some clear answers, we'll need to be rested. Dismissed."

Mind swirling with endless possibilities, gut fluttering with an ever-present worry, and a heavy head tired from lack of sleep, Jane closed the door to her room and slowly slid down to her haunches. 

She checked her Omni-tool.  _ I can afford an hour. _

She gathered herself, locked her door and made for the bed. It wasn't soft by any means, but it was still infinitely more comfortable than the pods.  _ Still not used to the bed. It's like...sinking. _

Jane sat on the edge and started to unlace her boots. She tugged them off and tossed them in the corner, giving herself a moment to rub her sore feet. She scooted back to the head of the bed and leaned against the wall, pulling up a news feed on her Omni-tool. After a few minutes of waving through various articles, she grew bored and switched to other extranet feeds. She linked the browsing to her eye movements and her other hand settled onto her lap. 

Fornax and other inter-species relations begin popping up, almost as if they were drawn by her frustrated thoughts.  _ I haven’t had any time to myself...I feel about ready to...burst.  _ Jane’s thumb brushed the buckle of her belt and a tingle shot up her spine at just the bare thought of inviting...any of them to her room. Jane drew her knees up, level to her chest, and shut off the Omni-tool. She slipped it off of her wrist and eyed the locked door. She bit her lip, thinking.

_ Tali and Legion...they  _ **_had_ ** _ invited me to join in on the Citadel...God...the way Legion...thrust...into Tali... _

Jane closed her eyes, allowing one thumb to hook into the waistband of her pants. Suddenly, the fabric felt too constricting, she felt hot and flushed. Her other hand draped between her legs, the fingers barely touching the fabric of her pants. She took another deep breath, summoning forth memories, half a step from giving in.

_ The way her bare legs wrapped around him...as he started going...faster and faster. Her body rocking back and forth with each slam of his...ribbed -. _

Her trapped thumb slid to the belt buckle, tugging flirtatiously, begging for a release. Jane bit her lower lip again and forced her other hand fully onto her groin. She traced the outline of her mound, running circles around herself. Jane wasn’t shocked to find herself already nearly soaked; even through the imprisoning layers, she felt her core. Her legs pinched, trapping her hand momentarily. 

A silent moan broke through her lips. 

_ I can’t stop. I don’t  _ **_want_ ** _ to. _

She withdrew the hand from between her thighs first, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, then back down to rejoin the other. On the way down, she stopped at her breasts. Already heaving, trapped behind her stiff black shirt, she gave them a soft stroke. Her eyes flashed open, giving the still-locked door a conspiratorial glance. 

A tense moment passed.

In a flash, Jane’s hands ripped through the belt’s buckle, one hand diving for the opening, while the other returned to her chest, beneath her shirt. Her cold hand sent a shock across her skin as she traced against her sensitive stomach and breasts. Immediately, her nipples hardened and she began tugging on them, one at a time, alternating. She pushed another moan past her lips and shifted slightly lower on the bed. 

Below, her other hand dived past the fabric trapping her and ripped away the prison, exposing it to the suddenly too-hot air in her room. The softness was intoxicating, even if it was her own. Her fingers began tracing circles again, becoming soaked in no time at all, brushing against the pink. A throbbing began, aching for more of her attention. 

Suddenly, Jane was at a precipice. Another step, another tug, another brush and she wouldn't be able to stop herself. She didn’t want to stop, true, but she also had a full hour. There was no sense in wasting it all right away. 

Her hands retreated, her body aching for their continued contact. Jane closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She removed her shirt, tossing it to the side and a moment later her pants followed. She crossed her legs and looked down their length, unable to help her own self-admiration. She  **knew** she looked good; she was in the best shape of her life - a perfect blend of soft skin and accentuating muscle in all the right places. For what time she had, she planned on enjoying herself, fully. Now clad in only a simple black cami and basic black lace panties, Jane began again, slower and methodical, restricting herself to only touch from beyond the fabrics. 

The cami was flimsy enough, barely providing enough support for her breasts, that it quickly succumbed to her hand’s offense. It folded away, revealing to her room a rock-hard nipple, poking in the air. Jane took the cue and began tracing around the breast and closed her eyes. She let images flash freely. 

She remembered when she stumbled upon Tali and Legion. She let herself imagine it was  **her** on the table, not Tali. She copied the Quarian, begging for the rhythmic pounding to continue, to not stop, to go faster and harder and deeper. She kneaded her nipple and spread her hips as wide as they could go, inviting, finally, her other hand. 

Instinctively, she went below the thin underwear, but stopped before she reached the deep ocean.  _ Just...a touch. A dip.  _ Her hand retreated, moving to above the lace. It was still thin and soft enough for her, and she began slowly circling, like a shark, the barest of touches on her engorged core making it beg for more. Her mind shifted, suddenly, remembering.

She remembered Nihlus, grinning, white facial markings striking in the dark cavern around them. His mandibles twitched, inviting and begging Jane to partake. Suddenly, he thrust, grabbing at her, but instead of tugging on a medigel canister, his talon, effortlessly sharp, hooked her waist. The other followed, pulling her close to his strong body. His scent, his musk, made her drunk. She thrust up, meeting his lips with hers, holding him close. She felt his hands move, grasping her behind and pulling her even closer to him. 

Finally, her hand dipped beneath the surface of the lace, voluntarily trapping itself. She moaned again as she focused solely on her swollen clit. Her other hand moved to free the other breast, alternating on tugging and twitching her nipples. Her legs writhed on the bed and she slid all the way down, arching her back, digging her ass into the bed to help steady her greedy hands.

Then, Jane felt bright blue eyes, staring at her. She remembered how he followed her movements, tracked the sway of her hips. How her waist beckoned Saren closer. Her name, on his mandibles, succulent. The purr of his voice, the smell of his sweet sweat, the heavy weight of his hand, the taste of his -. 

Jane couldn’t stop herself anymore. Her imprisoned hand dived fully, stroking against her hot, wet depths, tracing circles around her center. Her fingers spread her lips wide and she imagined what it would feel like to be below the grunting form of Saren, his hips plunging himself deep into her. Her fingers slipped in and she gasped. She was hot, wet, slippery, tight, sopping,  _ begging. _

Emerging from the depths of her mind, Jane remembered azure fingers, deftly teasing her body. An Asari mounted her, breathing heavily, looking upon her nude body with an insatiable lust. Liara was above her, like a goddess, her hand knuckle-deep, working her, pleasing her. They kissed, lightning sparking between the two. Both of their hands moved faster, tugging, tweaking, stroking, thrusting.

Jane opened her eyes, staring down at her heaving chest, and beyond, her soaking core. Her lips, taut against two fingers perfectly framed her thumb, the base of which rubbed against her now fully engorged clit. She let out a rapid set of moans as pressure and pleasure mixed, then grew, in her stomach. Her other hand forgot about her nipples as she arched her back further and further and it was all she could do to grasp the beds sheets, twisting them like the scalp-crests of a pleasuring Asari.

A quiver. Deep, sudden, shattering, started in her stomach, and rapidly spread down like a roaring wave of water. It hit her thighs, shaking them and pulling them together, trapping her hand. She moaned again, riding the crest of the climax, and begged herself to keep going. 

Jane rotated on her shoulder, lying face down, and thrust her ass into the air. The constant contact of the bed continued to stimulate her sensitive nipples and she forced her thighs apart, allowing her hand to move even faster, thrusting in-out-in-out from below, simulating as if she was being taken from behind. She bit the corner of her pillow and steadied herself with her other arm against the wall. 

A blur of images flashed through her mind, unable to focus on any single one, she gave into the flurry of pleasure, the building sensation getting closer and closer. Finally, after weeks of pent-up pressure, her mind was released. Her thighs clamped shut, re-trapping her thrusting hand. She rotated her wrist, rubbing her palm fully against herself, grinding against her hand. Light exploded behind her closed eyes as the pleasure climaxed, raising higher and higher, before finally, exhausted, Jane collapsed.

**Author's Note:**

> As a note, these are only what I would classify as "world-building" changes. I won't be telling you what elements of the narrative changes. As is evident, there will be some "narrative plot-point" changes, though the overall story stays relatively the same. The "narrative plot-point" changes come from the "world-building" changes listed below, as well as just some changes that I think would have made the Mass Effect games even perfect-er. Enjoy!
> 
> What's New:
> 
> 1\. So perhaps the most fundamental, universe-rule bending change I've made for this story is with Eezo. Element Zero functions the exact same way as in the regular universe, but in this Alternate universe it has some additional...side effects? Yeah side effects. Eezo, now extremely prevalent throughout the galaxy, provides a massive boost to biological sentient’s sex drive. It also allows biological tissue to contain an incredible amount of flexibility, allowing for...lets say, larger and more exaggerated external and internal stimuli. Oh yeah, I may have forgotten to mention: This here be smut, baby!
> 
> 2\. As just about everyone in the galaxy has a heightened sex drive, sex is looked at differently, by the meta-culture of the galaxy. Obviously, like in any vast society, you will have outliers, so not everyone is a literal sex fiend in this A.U. Most people in this A.U., compared to real life and especially the game's original universe, view sex as something that doesn't need to be kept behind closed doors. Why bother? Why be hush hush about something everyone does? A good example would be playing party games or watching Youtube. Sure, you have people who probably spend too much time on Youtube, or have never touched a board game in their life. But most people watch Youtube videos. Most people have played monopoly or sorry! or something, right? That's not to say sex isn't...well sexy, in this A.U., just that it's not viewed as a taboo, so much as it is a hobby. There is more to say on this subject, however, as it does play into the narrative later in the story. Oh yeah, I may have forgotten to mention: This here be character studies, baby!
> 
> 3\. The Morning War between the Geth and Quarians ended, long, long ago...with a truce and eventual understanding between the two races. For over 200 years, the galactic community has (mostly) welcomed both Quarians and Geth with open arms. Geth are still not overtly accepted as equal, and are on a similar hierarchical level as, say, the Volus or Hanar. In fact, they have their own joint embassy on the Citadel with their patron race: the Quarians. Many see them as a strange sort of duo-race. Usually, where you find a Quarian, you're sure to find at least one Geth platform.
> 
> 4\. Speaking of, the Quarians have had about 200 years to grow and establish themselves. They are a vital member of society, though they are on the low-end of population density. They almost exclusively live on Rannoch, their homeworld, and exist peacefully with the Geth. Continuing on this, Quarians have very recently (in the last few years) managed to secure a seat on the Citadel Council, which only pushes the Alliance's agenda to do the same.
> 
> 5\. Remember the Yahg? Yeah they have a much larger role in this story. All I will say is they fill a similar, but different-enough role as Krogan do in the Galaxy, except without the Genophage baggage, of course. No, instead they have the Asari-as-their-patron-race baggage. :) Krogan and Yahgs, generally, like each other. There's a certain respect amongst races that can physically dominate the "battlefield" isn't there?
> 
> I think that about sums it up with the fundamental, non-spoiler changes to the Universe. Any others, we will explore when they come up. Thanks for reading! See ya next time!


End file.
